Ready to don your spookiest costume? Carve your pumpkin and display it proudly? Stocking up on candy to satisfy young and old alike? October 31 is Halloween. Celebrated with great fanfare across the Atlantic and across the Channel, the tradition has been gaining ground in France for some years now. But do you know the meaning and origins ofHalloween? Take a seat, and we'll tell you all about the history of Halloween.
While the United States makes a point of celebrating Halloween every October 31, the holiday actually has its origins in Ireland, some 2,500 years ago. At that time, the Celts did not celebrate Halloween, but the festival of Samain or Samhain. In the Celtic calendar, October 31st was considered the last day of the year. On this evening, the Celts paid homage to the spirits of the dead and departed.
The Celts were also accustomed to wearing scary costumes to scare away ghosts. The Celts believed that fantastic beings came to " visit " the living on this night. And these celebrations continued for many years, until Irish immigrants brought the tradition with them to the United States in the mid-19th century.
But what exactly is the meaning of Halloween? A closer look reveals that it's short for"All Hallows Eve", theeve of All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1.
And why has the pumpkin become the symbol of Halloween? Few people know it, but before the pumpkin, the turnip was the star of the Halloween celebration. The origins of this vegetable can be traced back to the famous legend of Jack-o'-lantern. In this old Irish tale, the character is condemned to wander aimlessly with a hollowed-out turnip as a lantern. Over the years, however, the turnip has been transformed into a pumpkin. This imposing orange squash is harvested in autumn. As you may have noticed, pumpkins are much easier to carve than turnips.
Since the 1920s, Halloween has become a more commercial affair, with the proliferation of ever scarier costumes, sweets of all kinds and, more recently, dedicated parties.
