2006-09-23 08:03:19 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
Halloween is actually All Hallow's Eve and is a Catholic holiday and day of obligation to honor and pray for and celebrate the deceased. The day afterward (November 1st) is All Saint's Day, which serves the same purpose. So basically All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) is like the Christmas Eve of All Saint's Day. Of course this has become commercialized over the years, like most religious holidays. But mostly it doesn't do much harm... Halloween, that is.
2006-09-23 14:57:53 · answer #1 · answered by Holly 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Halloween is mostly celebrated in the United States and Canada. It is also celebrated in some other countries but I think in those countries it is less important.
Halloween was originally called "All Hallow's Eve" and was a religious holiday. For the Celts, October 31st was the day when the dead were the most likely to visit the living. It evolved through the years and eventually, somewhere in the '70s, in the United States, it became "Mischief Night", a night when youngsters played rather violent pranks on neighbours. Of course, the gouvernement didn't like that so they decided to start new traditions, such as inviting people to give candy to little children in a desperate attempt to turn it into a normal and less violent holiday.
2006-09-23 08:19:43 · answer #2 · answered by svenskfiolspel 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Halloween has always been quite a big celebration for children in Ireland. Traditional games like bobbing for apples & 'trick or treat.' Hollowed out pumpkins & turnips are used as candle holders & barm brack & nuts are eaten.The kids dress up as witches & ghosts etc. & in recent years fireworks have become part of the celebrations, even though they are illegal in Ireland. The name comes from 'All Hallows Eve' as in the Catholic church the 1st Nov. is 'All Saint's Day.' It was originally a pagan festival to mark the beginning of winter.
2006-09-23 08:38:08 · answer #3 · answered by Caro 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We don't exactly celebrate but do deck out the kitchen and the childrens bedroom and have dipping for apples, scary music playing and generally be silly. Is that celebrating?
2006-09-23 08:06:52 · answer #4 · answered by helen p 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It began as a pagan festival! ANd has since been adopted by everyone on the planet - well, near enough!
I celebrate it in a spiritual way and with my daughter by dressing up and going 'trick or treating'!
2006-09-23 08:12:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Halloween or All hallowes eve, Hallow even and others has many diffrrent celebrations including christian and black magic.
Here's the wikipedia link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
2006-09-23 08:16:26 · answer #6 · answered by STEVErunswithdogs 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
halloween was (a looooong time ago) a pagan festival. people who believed in paganism dressed up as the gods. soon, it spread to several countries and now, it's a tradition, without the god aspect.
as to who celebrates it, i think its only the USA, England, maybe Australia and France.
2006-09-23 08:14:09 · answer #7 · answered by chishru 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
halloween is celebrated becuse of a dumb dentist
2006-09-23 08:11:17 · answer #8 · answered by sprossy 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋