October 31st: Halloween
"Hallow"
once meant the same as "saint". Halloween is short for Allhallows Even,
the evening before All Saints' Day. Playing at 'spooks' and witches,
games of 'duck apple', eating roast chestnuts, and listening to ghost
stories are, however, customs which have their beginnings in remote
times.
October
31st was the eve of Samhain, the Druid New Year. It was also the
festival of the dead, for the Druids believed that the spirits of the
dead visited the living at this time.
When Christianity took the place of this pagan religion, the
feast of All Saints took the place of Samhain. However, a few people
never became Christian, but continued to believe the Druid ideas. In
secret they carried on many of the Druid ceremonies. As time passed some
of these ceremonies changed, and the people who took part in them
became known as witches, with Samhain their most important feast.
Eating
the fruits of autumn, apples and nuts, was part of the Druid feast. When
Samhain became Allhallows Even, Christians continued to enjoy these
fruits. Games, like 'duck apple' were played around bonfires in which
chestnuts were roasted.
In medieval times, bonfires were lit on October 31st as it was thought they frightened off witches.
Polecam jeszcze jedną piosenkę dla dzieci A witch came flying:
P.S. Graliście już dzisiaj na Googlach? ;)
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