Halloween Holiday

How did Halloween come about and what does it mean?
The history of Halloween originates from the ancient Celts. The prototype was the pagan harvest festival of Samhain. It symbolized the end of the agricultural year and the beginning of a new one. The date was floating and depended on the lunar calendar. The Celts divided the year into two parts: in late October - early November, the dark part of the year came, and in March – the light part. Halloween celebrates the day of various evil spirits

How is Halloween celebrated?
Since the 16th century, both Samhain and Halloween have been celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1, and according to tradition, adults and children dress up as monsters, vampires and other evil spirits, and go from house to house asking for sweets. Most often with phrases like: "trick or treat", which translates as "Purse or life" or "Sweetness or nastiness". They also decorate the house with various creepy things, such as spiders, skeletons, cobwebs, bats and the like. There is also no empty street left to decorate it in every possible way.

The main symbol of Halloween.
The main symbol of the holiday is the so-called Jack's Lamp (Jack-o'-lantern - Jack-Lantern). It is a pumpkin on which a sinister grinning face is carved; a lighted candle is placed inside the pumpkin. Nowadays, electric lighting is most often used.

The Story of Jack's Lamp.
According to Irish legend, a miser and a drunkard named Jack, once, on the eve of All Saints' Day, met the Devil himself in a bar.Jack got so drunk that he almost fell into the hands of the Devil, but thanks to his cunning, he offered his soul to the Devil in exchange for the last cup of booze. The devil agreed and immediately turned into sixpence to pay the bartender for a drink. Jack quickly stuffed them into his wallet, and since Jack had a silver cross in his wallet, the Devil could not get out again.Jack did not release the Devil until he promised him that he would not claim his soul for ten years.The devil kept his word, and ten years later he returned for Jack, meeting him on the road. The devil was about to take him away, but Jack, quickly realizing what was what, said: "I'll go with you, but before we go, could you get me an apple from this tree? "The devil, thinking that he had nothing to lose, jumped on Jack's shoulders to pick an apple. Then Jack took out a knife and carved a cross on the trunk of the tree, and the Devil could not come back down to take Jack or his soul.Jack made him promise that he would never come after him again. The devil realized that there was no way out, and agreed. No one ever found out how the Devil managed to get down from the tree.When Jack died a year later, heaven did not accept him, because he led a wild life, drank a lot, was a stingy and deceitful person.Then Jack went down to hell, but the Devil refused him, because he promised Jack that he would never take his soul. "But where should I go? Jack asked. "Go back to where you came from," the Devil answered him. But the way back was very dark and cold, and Jack asked the Devil to give him light to find his way back.The devil fulfilled Jack's last wish and threw him a burning coal directly from the flames of hell, and so that the road could be better seen and the strong wind did not blow out the light, Jack put it inside the turnip he was eating.Since then, Jack has been doomed to wander with a lantern in his hands until the Day of Judgment comes.

Traditional Halloween dishes.
Traditional Halloween dishes are sweets that are bought off from a variety of "evil spirits". A variety of snacks, salads or pastries are suitable for a homemade Halloween menu. Halloween food is decorated with the image of cobwebs, ghosts or pumpkins, so it's more of a specific design than some kind of special cuisine. Halloween is a great opportunity to serve the most ordinary dishes in an unusual way.