Happy Halloween II --- Halloween Customs (up part)

On the annual Nov.1 is the traditional Western festival of "Ghost Holiday" – Halloween, and Oct. 31 is the eve of Halloween, it usually known as the night before Halloween. But the atmosphere on this day is far from “horrible” as its name sounds.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outbuildings and unhinging fence gates.

The best known and featured custom of Halloween are just the two – fantastic ”Jack’s Lantern” and prank “Trick or Treat”.

Every time at the arrival of Halloween, the children are all hurried to put on their colorful make-up costumes, wear various ridiculous masks on and carrying a "Jack Light" walk from house to house and begging for holiday gifts.


Trick or Treat

The custom of trick-or-treat is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village and begging for "soul candies”, made out of square pieces of bread with raisins.

The more soul candies the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could speed up a soul's path to the heaven.

This is an important part in Halloween days on the dining table, you not only should ready for enough candies and cakes to entertain those naughty ”devilkins”, but also to deck out your table with elaborate care in this special day. Never to let your guests look down with you!

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