I'm really not sure how many of you actually celebrate or even care about Halloween. Certainly when we were younger and growing up in Sarawak, Halloween was never a big a deal for us. But with globalisation, I guess some new festivals do gain more popularity - if not with you, then perhaps with your kids.
Halloween falls on October 31st each year. It originated in the Celtic festival of Samhain and is also on the eve of All Saints Day, celebrated by Christians. The ancient Celts believed that the border between ThisWorld and the OtherWorld became porous on Samhain, allowing spirits (both good and bad) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off, by wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm. Hmmm, I wonder what the costume worn by the lass on the right will do ....
Anyway these days, Halloween is largely a secular celebration, although some people still express concerns about its traditional religious overtones. As for me, I reckon Halloween is just another excuse to have a party. So heck, why not?
The colours black and orange have become associated with the celebrations, maybe because of the darkness of night and the colour of fire. We also see a lot of carved pumpkins, called Jack-o'-Lanterns. Traditional Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. Certainly Hollywood has made a lot of money with Halloween-related films.
So in the spirit of a global family, here's
Wishing one and all a Happy Halloween !
Boo.
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