To Χάλοουϊν (Halloween) είναι γιορτή του δυτικού κόσμου που γιορτάζεται την νύχτα της 31ης Οκτωβρίου, κατά την οποία τα μικρά παιδιά μεταμφιέζονται, κατά κανόνα σε κάτι "τρομαχτικό" και επισκέπτονται σπίτια μαζεύοντας γλυκά, ενέργεια γνωστή ως

"trick or treat". Η ρίζα της λέξης αυτής προέρχεται από το All-hallow-even και δηλώνει την παραμονή

(eve) της γιορτής των Αγίων Πάντων (All Hallows Day - All Saints Day).

Σήμα κατατεθέν επίσης της γιορτής αυτής είναι τα φαναράκια φτιαγμένα από πραγματικές κολοκύθες πάνω στις οποίες υπάρχουν χαραγμένα ανθρώπινα χαρακτηριστικά, άλλοτε πιο χιουμοριστικά και άλλοτε πιο τρομαχτικά.

Το έθιμο της κολοκύθας έχει ρίζες από παλιούς Ιρλανδικούς μύθους σύμφωνα με τους οποίους ένας τεμπέλης αλλά πανέξυπνος αγρότης (Τζακ) που κατάφερε να ξεγελάσει και να παγιδεύσει τον Διάβολο με έναν σταυρό. Ο Τζακ αρνήθηκε να απελευθερώσει τον Διάβολο μέχρι να καταλήξουν σε κάποια συμφωνία. Ο Τζακ δέχτηκε να τον απελευθερώσει με την προϋπόθεση ότι όταν πεθάνει, ο Διάβολος να μην τον αφήσει να μπει στην Κόλαση. Πεθαίνοντας λοιπόν ο Τζακ ,η συμφωνία τηρήθηκε και έτσι δεν μπορούσε να πάει στην κόλαση. Από τότε, ο Τζακ φτιάχνει αυτά τα φανάρια από κολοκύθα, βάζει ένα κερί μέσα τους και περιπλανάται σε όλα τα μήκη και πλάτη της Γης για να βρει ένα μέρος να αναπαυθεί.

Where And When Did Halloween Start?

About 2,000 years ago in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, lived the Celts. For the Celts the end of the year was the end of the harvest season.  So, they celebrated New Year's Eve each year on October 31st with a festival called "Samhain," named after their Lord of the Dead (also known as the Lord of Darkness).  Samhain (pronounced 'sow-in') was presided over by Celtic priests called Druids.

The Celts believed that on the night that marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead blurred allowing ghosts of the dead to return to earth.  Celts thought that the presence of the ghosts made it easier for the Druids, their priests, to predict the future.  To celebrate Samhain, the Druids built huge sacred bonfires around which the Celts gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to their ancient gods.  During the celebration, the Celts dressed up in costumes of animal heads and skins and tried to tell each other's fortunes.

The Celts eventually were conquered by the Romans, and by about the year 43 AD two Roman festivals were combined with the Celtic Samhain festival.  The first Roman festival was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.  The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.  The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples practiced today on Halloween.

By 800 AD, the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands.  In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st as All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs.  The celebration was also called All-hallows and the night before it, All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.

The favourite decoration of Halloween is the pumpkin.

Children go trick-or-treat. They dress up in funny, scary, and silly costumes. They go from house to house ringing doorbells and shout,

“trick-or-treat.” People give them candies, fruit, and gum.

Colours are a big part of Halloween. The most

popular colours are orange, black and gold. Black is the colour used

for cats, witches, and magic. Gold

and orange are used for ripe fruit, vegetables, and grains.

Children play games at Halloween time. One

of the favourite games is “bobbing for apples.” It is played at many parties.

Usually a tub is filled with water. Apples are then put in the tub. Children try to pick up the apples by using their teeth.

Many decorations are used for Halloween.

Here are a few of them.

• ghosts• jack-o-lanterns• witches• bats

Special foods bring a special meaning to Halloween.

These foods taste good on a cool Halloween night. Some of the favourite foods

are:• apple cider• candy apples• popcorn• hot chocolate• brownies• cookies

A special custom in America on Halloween night is going to a haunted house. People put strange and silly things in the house to scare the those walking through.

Sometimes they have skeletons and witches on strings so it looks like they are moving and jingling in the air.

They put grapes, spaghetti, and macaroni in bowls. The children

put their hands in the bowls and scream because it feels so squishy

and strange. Haunted houses are made for fun and to make children

laugh.