HALLOWEEN

October 31st is Halloween. This festivity has Celtic origins: the Celts believed that summer ended on October 31st.

The Celts believed that ghosts and witches returned on that night and that evil spirits entered the body of a person or animal. This is why they used to wear frightening costumes and make big fires to send the spirits away.

Later, Christian pratices replaced pagan ones; the Roman Catholic Church decided to call November 1st "All Hallows Day" or "All Saints Day" and the evening of October 31st became "All Hollows Eve" - that is, Halloween.

Nowadays at Halloween children and teenagers wear skeleton, witch, ghost and monster costumes for parties. They visit their neighbours' houses and, when the door opens, they say "Trick or treat?" and people usually give them sweets or money.

This custom originated in the 9th century in Ireland, where on November 2nd - All Souls Day - Christians used to walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes", made of bread with currants. The more "soul akes" the beggars received, the more prayers they promised to say for dead relatives.

The custom of buying a big pumpkin and making a lantern comes from Irish folklore. Irish people put lit, hollowed-out turnips in front of their windows and in their garden to frighten evil spirits away.