The word Halloween a contraction of its original title "All Hallows' Evening". It's more famously known as a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. Most scholars believe that All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain.
Samhain is also known as the Witch's New year. It marks the end of summer proper and the start of winter. It is a time when the veil between past, present, and future is thin and it is possible to see beyond into the otherworld.
Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, which is a custom that came from disguising yourself from the evil sprits, attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, which came from the Irish when they carved the insides from turnips and lit candles in them to keep spirits out of their homes, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.
Superstition is an illogical fear or belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the two events, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, etc., that contradicts natural science.
Opposition to superstition was a central concern of the intellectuals during the 18th century Age of Enlightenment. The philosophes at that time ridiculed any belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural, as "superstition," and typically included as well much of Christian doctrine.
It seems then that Halloween and superstition go hand in hand. As you head off to the Halloween parties this year, you'd better make sure you have this list of bad luck superstitions with you.
THE POCKET GUIDE OF "IT IS BAD LUCK TO..."
Fasten a button into the wrong buttonhole
Have a black cat cross your path walk away from you (it's good luck though if a black cat walks towards you) If a black cat crosses your path while you're driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on your windshield to prevent bad luck. (I love this one. What if you aren't wearing a hat? Or you're not carrying a felt-tip pen or lipstick? And what about the fact that you're driving a car?!!!)
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| it's plain to see that this cat is evil. beware!!! |
Sit on a table unless one foot is touching the ground
Stumble when leaving his house at the beginning of a journey, or trip or stumble more than once during the course of the journey, it is advisable to postpone it
Pass anyone on the staircase
Have a candle or a picture fall over
Give a pair of gloves to a friend unless you receive something in exchange
Encounter a gravedigger coming towards you. Usually this means there will be a severe illness.
Spill pepper, because it means you will have a serious argument with a friend
See an owl during daylight
Step on cracks in the sidewalk
Sing before breakfast
Look at the new moon over your left shoulder
Put a shirt on inside out
Break a glass while proposing a toast
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| be sure to look at these two new moons over your right shoulder |
InterestTeen Fact:
Around 50% of adults in the U.S will dress up for Halloween, and around 67% will attend a Halloween party or go trick or treating with their children
Most popular constumes:
Adult
Witch
Vampire
Pirate
Clown
Vamp/Wench/Tart
Children
Princess
Witch
Spiderman
Pirate Pumpkin
If you're planning on staying home and watching Horror movies, here are a few ridiculously funny (or maybe just ridiculous) Halloween favorites:
Young Frankenstein
Little Shop Of Horrors
Shaun of the Dead
Gremlins
Beetlejuice
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