HALLOWEEN

HALLOWEEN ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN’S SYMBOLS TRADITIONAL SONGS AND FOOD THE JACK-O-LANTERN GHOST STORIES

ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN

ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts, Also October the thirty one was the last day of the celtic calendar. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago. All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.

HALLOWEEN’S SYMBOLS

HALLOWEEN’S SYMBOLS Costumes and masks have played two roles during the Halloween season. It is supposed that ancient people wore costumes to better commune with the spirits that roamed the night Bats were thought to indicate the presence of spirits or ghosts. The infamous vampire bat, is the only mammal that feeds on blood. One superstition holds that if a bat flies around a house three times on Halloween, death will be coming soon. Witches are often thought to have the supernatural powers needed to use rituals, potions and spells to connect and manipulate the energy of the spirit realm.

HALLOWEEN’S SYMBOLS Gravestones are where the world of the living can meet the world of the dead. Halloween celebrates visitors from the spirit world. Black cats have long been believed to be a symbol of the supernatural. Since the witch hunts of the middle ages, when cats were connected to evil and witchcraft, the black cat is often associated with misfortune and bad omens. 

TRADITIONAL SONGS AND FOOD

TRADITIONAL SONGS AND FOOD Apart from the famous “Trick or treat” rime there are some more, depending of the celebration area, for instance Hey-How for Halloween (A Scottish rhyme): Hey-how for Hallowe'en! A' the witches tae be seen, Some are black, an' some green, Hey-how for Hallwe'en. We can also talk about food: Candy apples, also known as toffee apples outside of North America, are whole apples covered in a hard sugar candy coating. 

TRADITIONAL SONGS AND FOOD A Soul cake is a small round cake which is traditionally made for All Saints Day or All Souls' Day to celebrate the dead. The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, were given out to soulers (mainly consisting of children and the poor) who would go from door to door on Halloween singing and saying prayers for the dead. Each cake eaten would represent a soul being freed from Purgatory.  Caramel corn is a confection made of popcorn coated with a sugar or molasses based caramel candy shell. Typically a sugar solution or syrup is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup

THE JACK-O’-LANTERN

THE JACK-O’-LANTERN According to an ancient Irish myth, Stingy Jack sat down to have a drink with the devil. And just like his name tells us, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink. He convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack would use to pay for their drinks. But as soon as the devil did so, Jack pocketed the coin! Jack kept a small silver cross in that same pocket and the cross kept the devil from changing back into his true form. Jack struck a deal with the devil and freed him under the condition that he would not trouble Jack for one year and would not claim his soul if he died. When the agreed upon year was up, the devil returned, but Jack tricked him again. He convinced the devil that he should climb into a tree to pick a ripe piece of fruit. Jack carved a sign of the cross into the trunk of the tree so that the devil couldn’t come down until he promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years. Not long after, Jack died. Legend has it that such an unsavory character could not be accepted into heaven. Meanwhile, the devil, angered by the tricks Jack had played on him and keeping his word, would not claim his soul or allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his path. Jack carved out a turnip and put the coal in it so it wouldn’t burn his hands. According to the myth, Jack has been roaming the Earth ever since, carrying his turnip lantern. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern” and then simply as “Jack O’Lantern.”

GHOST STORIES

GHOST STORIES BLOODY MARY It is said that many years ago Mary ill and died. Her family buried her. In the years that Mary lived bodies were buried in a kind of rope that was attached on the surface of a bell, as they knew what was catalepsy. It turns out that Mary awoke and rang the bell, but no body listened. The next morning the family saw that the bell was on the floor. When Mary found dig without nails as these were broken and bloody at the top of the coffin. Mary put a curse before he died and now all that in front of a mirror the call naming her name three times, die. But before you hear the bell that no one listened when.

GHOST STORIES RESTING ON THE PLANE A flight attendant was going through the aisle toward the cockpit. Then came one of the pilots and cabin reported that the rest was free. Then the man went to sleep. When the pilot entered the small cabin was someone sleeping, but the flight attendant had told him that was empty. noted with surprise that there was a girl lying about five years. The wrapped with a blanket and without making much noise out of the room. He went to find the hostess and told her what had happened. This, he said it wasimpossible because there were children on that flight. Then the hostess said, looking worried - Do you see that couple back there? - Repeated, turning his head towards a young couple with faces pale. Yes, of course I see ... said the pilot. But what they have to do them in the story? Asked in face of intrigue They go to the funeral of her daughter, she goes down in a coffin, along with other goods. The pilot turned pale at the news and ran to the cockpit where he saw the girl. No one was there. He went to the bathroom to freshen the face look in the mirror and realized I had written something with a little finger, said: Thank you for tuck ...

ANDONI PEÑALVER GUILLERMO MANZANARES JESÚS PALAZÓN RUBÉN PALAZÓN JOSE MARÍA ROMERO