18th century historians had already linked Halloween to an ancient pagan festival: a Celtic ritual called Samhain,celebrating the end of summer and the arrival of the short, cold days of autumn. Samhain lasted three days and began on October 31.In the 8th century, there was a turning point: Pope Gregory III changed the original date of "Day of All Saints" from May 13 to November 1.
It is unclear whether the movement, which also made religious celebration mandatory for all Catholics, was an attempt to "Christianize" Samhain. Halloween's habit of asking for sweets door-to-door was adopted by the Church in order to integrate pagan beliefs, Rome also allowed people to disguise themselves as angels, saints, or demons.
When did Halloween become the celebration we know now?
It took shape between 1500 and 1800. The bonfires were very popular then: they were used to burn the straw (remember that Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season), but also as a ritual to "repel" witchcraft and disease. Food was an important component of celebrations and one of the habits more characteristic involves children who went from house to house singing rhymes or praying for the souls of the dead.
How did the celebration get to the US?
During the Great Famine in Ireland, which was then part of the UK of Britain and Ireland, more than one million people emigrated to the US. They took their history and traditions with them, and it is no coincidence that the first mentions of Halloween in U.S. territory appeared shortly after that exodus.
Initially, the American version was very similar to that of the British countryside. But there were some crucial additions, such as the introduction of scarecrows in decorations: corn was a crucial crop in American agriculture. There were others, such as the classic phrase of "treat or trick" of children or the use of pumpkins (The British tradition was to carve turnips). According to some historians, the celebration took off after World War II, when food rationing ended.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 👻💀
Autor: D.S
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