... a propósito do Hallowen
Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain (pronounced
sow-in), modern Halloween has become less about ghosts, ghouls and witches and
more about costumes, candy and treats.
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, celebrated their new
year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer harvest and the beginning
of the dark, cold winter, a time of the year that was often associated with
human death…
On the night of October 31, it was believed that the ghosts
of the dead returned to the earth. The Celts believed the boundary between the
worlds of the living and the dead became blurred…living and dead, summer and
winter … unearthly spirits would not
only haunt the living but also cause trouble and damage crops.
Between fall and winter, plenty and scarcity, life and
death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition, when people would
light bonfires and wear costumes to scare off roaming ghosts and black-hearted
witches.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November
1 as a time to honour all saints and martyrs, the holiday known as All Saints’
Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. Therefore the evening
before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and overtime as Halloween.
Throughout the centuries, Halloween transitioned into a
secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such
as trick-or-treating and fun costume parties and outings. Over the millennia the festivity evolved from
a sombre pagan ritual to a day of cheerfulness, costumes, parades and sweet
treats for both children and adults.
Happy Halloween everyone!
Ilda Camarneira
Lista de referências bibliográficas:
História. (s/d). ANCIENT ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN. Disponível em http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
BBC News. (2014, outubro
23). Halloween: England's strange and ancient winter rituals. Disponível em http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/celebrating-the-traditions-of-halloween/7944.html
