Some Halloween Trivia

It is widely believed that Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.  The name "Halloween" originated in Scotland in the 1500s and is a variant of the All-Hallows-Even ("evening").  The name referred to the night before All Hallows Day or All Saints Day as designated by the 8th century Pope Gregory III to honor all saints and martyrs.  The carving of jack-o-lanterns an iconic part of Halloween celebrations came from the Irish and Scottish custom of carving turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering souls in purgatory.


Mexico, Latin America and Spain celebrate Dia de los Muertes also known as"Day of the Dead," which begins on October 31 and ends on November 2 or All Souls Day. Dia de los Muertes honors deceased loved ones and ancestors, and is characterized by breads, candies and other foods in the shapes of skulls and skeletons.  The English stopped celebrating Halloween during the period that Martin Luthers Protestant Reformation began to spread.

The tradition arrived in America with Irish and Scottish immigrants.  In modern times Halloween evolved into a secular community event that is celebrated by children going house to house wearing costumes asking for treats.  Since pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and much larger than turnips for carving, American houses often display a pumpkin, carved or un-carved, out front as a sign that trick-or-treating is welcomed.

Halloween remains a popular holiday enjoyed by both children and adults especially in the United States, Canada and Ireland.  Wilmington is home to many creative people and while walking home with my granddaughter, Juliana, over the weekend we decided to capture the spirit of this souling season by taking a few photographs to post on "I Spy a Friend."  

Marilyn
Sister Cities Association, Wilmington, NC (USA)