Halloween 2022: There's more to Halloween beyond 'trick or treat' and 'monster balls'
Although Halloween is a popular Christian festival it may have originated from a pagan harvest ceremony.
By ET Online | Updated:
Reuters
This is the day where everything spooky reigns supreme.
The term Halloween may sound vaguely familiar to those living in the Indian subcontinent. For horror film nerds, the word will whip up images of a masked figure trying to slash the throats of innocent pedestrians (for many of us desi slasher movie aficionados, the only ‘Halloween’ we were familiar with for a long time, was John Carpenter’s eponymously named cult classic) .
However in the Anglosphere, Halloween is not just a festival, it's an emotion. Imagine a day when kids can go around knocking on neighbor’s doors, ask for a treat and threaten the adults with nasty tricks if their demand request is not met. (Those of us who have grown up in Indian suburbs could barely imagine bothering the neighborhood aunty for anything let alone demand for chocolates and candies. After all, log kya kahenge?). But in the US, this is the day where children go for a bout of ‘trick or treat’. This includes dressing up in crazy costumes and gallivanting around the neighbourhood after dusk, demanding candies or else… Jack-o’-lanterns are also one of the staple features of Halloween. People engage in competitions to carve out the scariest face from pumpkins. Many end the day by throwing a grand monster ball where people can dress up as their favourite ‘monster’. Above all Halloween is a celebration of all things spooky and otherworldly.
Although the festival that is celebrated every year on October 31 is mostly known as a popular Christian holiday and is associated with All Hallow’s Day, observed in honour of all the saints of the church, many scholars believe that the festival has pagan roots. According to some theories, the history of Halloween dates back thousands of years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain, a festival that marked the end of the harvest season. Samhain was also believed to be a time when the the worlds of the dead and the living collided and the spirits abided with their living relatives. Here are some of the most interesting Halloween trivia:
Dear Future Husband....
Believe it or not, people once thought you could meet your soulmate on this day! In the 1700s, women used to participate in apple-bobbing ceremonies at parties, believing that the first to finish would be the first to marry! Some believed that if you stood in front the mirror with a candle you may catch a glimpse of your future spouse in the mirror! Sounds like the regular old-wives tale that most people.
The Irish Introduced America To 'Jack-o' lanterns
The smiling pumpkins without which Halloween is unimaginable was a gift from the Irish when they arrived in the Americas in the 19th century. Back then Jack-o' lanterns were carved from potatoes and turnips. Ireland's devastating Potato Famine of 1845 led more than 1.5 million Irish flee from their motherland and seek their fortunes in USA.
The 'Trick or Treat' Has Its Origins In Catholicism
In the 1200s many people in countries like Britain, Ireland and Germany used to believe that 'soul cakes' - sweets made from saffron and currants might help warding off evil spirits. Beggars would do the rounds in neighbourhoods, knocking on doors and asking for soul cakes in return of praying for their dead family members. Instead of saying ''trick or treat'' they would say, "A soul cake, a soul cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake!"
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Jack-o' lantern Was Inspired By An Irish Folktale
According to an old-wives tale, there was a man named Stingy Jack who tried to doublecross the Devil. He was cursed to roam the earth with only a burning coal in a hollowed turnip as a source of light. He was nicknamed 'Jack of the Lantern' which was later shortened to Jack-o' lantern.
Michael Myer's Mask Was Actually A Cheap Captain James Kirk Mask
Any discussion about Halloween is incomplete without at least an honourary mention of John Carpenter's slasher classic 'Halloween'. The 1978 film that still gives viewers sleepless nights, is immortalised by its psychotic protagonist Michael Myers who goes on serial killing rampages wearing an ivory pale mask.
The mask which has since become iconic for horror movie fans, was originally...wait for it... just a $2 Captain James Kirk (Star Trek) mask! The crew reshaped the eye-holes and painted it paperwhite. A little bit of creative effort turned this dirt-cheap mask into a symbol synonymous with terror.
Last-Minute Halloween Decor Ideas That Will Make Your House Look Oh-So-Terrifying!
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The scariest day of the year is here! While some of you may be donning spooky costumes and going to the most happening Halloween parties in town, others might be chilling at home, perhaps, watching a horror movie that is in sync with the spirit of the festival.
They say Halloween is the devil’s holiday, but we have heard another famous saying, ‘the devil lies in the details’. So, this Halloween, turn your home-sweet-home into the ultimate house of horrors with these last-minute, spooky decor ideas.
The scariest day of the year is here! While some of you may be donning spooky costumes and going to the most happening Halloween parties in town, others might be chilling at home, perhaps, watching a..
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Halloween is incomplete without giant, bright, orange-coloured, sumptuous fruits lying around in our humble abode. Yes, we are talking about pumpkins!
Carving pumpkins and using them at the entrance is so passe. Instead, you can put fairy lights inside them and make them glow. What’s more? You can also transform it into a candy dispenser by filling it with candy. Rest assured, the trick-or-treaters will have a fun time finding the goodies.
Halloween is incomplete without giant, bright, orange-coloured, sumptuous fruits lying around in our humble abode. Yes, we are talking about pumpkins!Carving pumpkins and using them at the entrance i..
Read More
Running out of ideas to decorate your balcony? Fret not! One of the simplest ways to make your balcony look terrifying is hanging witch hats from the ceiling. Witch hats are inexpensive and are easily available on shopping websites. All you have to do is take battery-powered tea lights or an LED light stick and stick it inside the hat.
Take the hat, suspend it from the ceiling using a fishing line and voila! There you have it - floating, glowing witch hats! Your balcony will now easily be the scariest place in your house.
Running out of ideas to decorate your balcony? Fret not! One of the simplest ways to make your balcony look terrifying is hanging witch hats from the ceiling. Witch hats are inexpensive and are easil..
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Once you have started decorating your house for Halloween, you might get carried away, focussing too much on the interiors and too little on the exteriors. Make sure all your neighbours and trick-or-treaters know that your home is indeed the ultimate house of horrors. For that, you can make a small skeleton-like figure for your entrance and add a scary sign that gives off creepy vibes.
For the skeleton, all you need is white, plastic shopping bags and glue. Roll the plastic shopping bags into a cylinder to make the bones and stick them together to make the skeleton. For the sign, take a rectangular piece of wood and with a paint brush, scribble some words of warning so your neighbours know you’re all game, this Halloween.
Rest assured, with the sign and the skeleton at the entrance, your house will grab a lot of eyeballs.
Once you have started decorating your house for Halloween, you might get carried away, focussing too much on the interiors and too little on the exteriors. Make sure all your neighbours and trick-or-..
Read More
Too many decorations in the middle of the room and hardly anything on the walls might reduce the aesthetic appeal of your house. To make the walls look spooky, you can prepare some paper bats and stick them using tape.
All you need is some black paper, scissors and a pencil. Take a piece of black paper and trace the outline of the bat using a pencil. Cut the paper along the drawn lines and there you have it - paper bats that will make the walls of your room look Halloween-ready.
Too many decorations in the middle of the room and hardly anything on the walls might reduce the aesthetic appeal of your house. To make the walls look spooky, you can prepare some paper bats and sti..
Read More
Add a twist to your Halloween decor by creating a family of ghosts using white cloth. For this, you will require some white cloth and a makeshift stand to support it. You can use cups, balloons for a small ghost and a stool or a chair for a larger ghost.
Additionally, you can also make the eyes of the ghost using black paper and paste it on the cloth. There you have it, Halloween decor ideas that are ‘easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy’!
Add a twist to your Halloween decor by creating a family of ghosts using white cloth. For this, you will require some white cloth and a makeshift stand to support it. You can use cups, balloons for a..
