All Hallows Eve

I procrastinated in the library the other day for a good hour and a half finding out about the reasons behind all the traditions in the UK over the month of November for my international students. So may as well post them on here as well!
Halloween 31st October
Halloween has its roots in Celtic Ireland and can be seen in the ‘Jack O Lantern’. The Jack O Lantern is a traditional item for children to take trick or treating with them. It consists of a hollowed pumpkin, (originally turnips) with a face sketched in and a lit candle placed inside. It comes from the legend of a man, Jack, in Ireland who made a pact with the Devil. In the Ancient times the 31st of October was the last day of the Celtic year and it was seen as a day when the spirits of the dead would come back to life and haunt the living. In order to ward off these spirits the Celts would wear scary costumes, so as to scare off the spirits. The festival was then adapted by the Romans and Christians. The name Halloween derives from the term ‘Hallows Eve’ (the day before ‘Hallows Day’). The Christian Church used these names (the Roman Catholic Church still uses All Saints Day (1st November) and All Souls Day (2nd November) within it’s liturgical calendar) as an opportunity to remember those who had died and risen with Christ in a new life in Heaven.Nowadays the feast is seen as one for children who dress up in scary costumes and go round the streets knocking on doors for sweets. Each year we have a big halloween party in college and usually get very drunk! I wasn't drinking that night so the pictures of me are pretty dull but thought you'd appreciate a couple of pictures anyway! It's also my daddy's birthday today :-)

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