Halloween

Halloween - the night of October 31st, a Monday in 2011 - is an important festival in much of the Western world, especially the USA and Ireland. This annual night of horror is also very big business.

Most people today treat Halloween as simply an excuse for a great party: we dress in fancy costumes, eat candy and stuff and have scary fun! However the spooky festival has a long and serious tradition. On these pages I'll introduce some of the folklore and mythology surrounding Halloween along with its history, tales and traditions.

Halloween is sometimes called Holloween. Although this spelling seems common on the net, it isn't in any of my dictionaries.

The word Halloween is short for All Hallow's Eve. Hallowen itself has no particular importance in the Christian religion, however the day after - All Hallows Day, otherwise known as Hallowmas or All Saints Day - is considered holy and was often a holiday. Initially November 1st was a day to remember all of the Saints (in contrast to an individual Saint's day), however this was gradually extended to include remembrance for the souls of all the departed.

Christian reaction to Halloween has always been mixed. Although All Saints Day is now official Catholic doctrine, Halloween has always retained its pagan links. In the past celebration of Halloween was sometimes suppressed, being considered unwise if not positively evil by some communities.

Halloween Today

Today, with the decline in importance of traditional Christian religions, Halloween night is a vibrant festival celebrated throughout the Western world.

Our modern customs are intended not so much to ward off evil as to entertain. We dress up in colourful Halloween costumes (everything from witches and skeletons to cowgirls!), buy loads of scary stuff and have a huge theme party. For one night a year we all get to share in a fantastic and possibly slightly spooky world of the imagination.

And sometimes it also reminds us of our historic roots. Have fun this Halloween, but spare a thought for our ancestors shiverin in the dark.

Happy Halloween!