Haloween | Funny Holidays

All Hallows Eve

The end of October is a time when a large part of the planet enters a kind of euphoria, culminating on the last day of the month with the celebration of Halloween in many countries. The event, widely recognized worldwide as Halloween, has religious roots and is associated with the evening before the holiday of All Saints' Day (All Hallows Eve). It is a day when some Christians go to church, light candles, and sing songs in honor of the deceased. However, it is also a day when children playfully dress up as ghosts, vampires, and other dark forces, going from house to house, scaring the hosts, and claiming sweets and gifts.

Due to its unique way of celebration, humorous connotations, and, above all, excellent marketing, this holiday has gained global popularity. Today, millions of people symbolically observe it, regardless of their religious affiliation or understanding of the reasons for "celebration."

In our region, global trends traditionally arrive with a delay, but undoubtedly they are coming. Therefore, in mid-October, various costumes of witches, vampires, bats, and other demons are increasingly visible in our shop windows. Pumpkins are carved and painted in schools and kindergartens, while the city promotes special Halloween parties and masquerades. True, all of this is more of an occasion for good fun than a genuine celebration, but the spirit of Halloween is widely present in Serbia as well.

How did Halloween originate?

It is little known that Halloween originated from Celtic pagan traditions and has many elements in its manifestation that are now considered occultism. The Celts believed that life is born from death, and they marked the beginning of their new year at the end of autumn when nature dies and, according to their beliefs, the time of darkness, decay, and death begins. On that day, they would extinguish the fire in their hearths, and darkness would prevail everywhere. According to pagan folklore, the souls of the deceased belonged to the Celtic god of death - Samhain. By offering sacrifices on the day of the new year, Samhain would allow the souls of the dead to visit their former homes. According to belief, the visiting souls of the dead were exhausted and hungry, so they would ask for food, hence the famous tradition known as "trick or treat." If someone from the living failed to host the souls of the dead, they would be subjected to the vengeance of the god Samhain.

When the Celts embraced Christianity, the church established the aforementioned holiday on November 1st to eradicate this occult practice, and the night before the holiday was called "All Hallows Eve," when overnight vigils were held. However, those who remained in paganism continued their rituals, so the night before the Christian holiday became Halloween, a night of witchcraft, summoning evil spirits, and demons.

Contemporary dressing up as ghosts, skeletons, and witches is precisely a continuation of this ancient pagan tradition. Therefore, such a way of celebrating often faces harsh criticism from the public, conservative movements, the Christian church, and other denominations.

Although in most cases, celebrating Halloween is primarily inspired by the desire for good fun, it is interesting to know that by participating in such customs, we unknowingly nurture an ancient tradition of the French, Irish, and British people.