HALLOWEEN
Field/ Folklore
Region/ USA North America
Event period/ October 31 every year
Year of Start/ Originated from an ancient Celtic festival
Before winter, in America, it’s a big, fun and joyful festival that turns the whole city into excitement. People dress up in various ways, and children go to neighbors’ houses, shout ‘Trick or Treat,’ collect candies, and greet even when they haven’t communicated with their neighbors. At the front of the door, a pumpkin lamp called Jack-O’-Lantern is decorated with a ghost shape, which gives pleasure when you pass the decorated street.
In fact, the words ‘Trick or Treat’ that children shout out are now too commercial, unlike the ancient custom of spending Halloween considering others more while giving food to the poor and it is true that it’s the last night of October, but Halloween evokes delicate sensitivity.
It is said that it originated from the traditional Celtic festival ‘Samhain,’ and it was established as a festival in its present form around the 1930s. On the last day of a year, the Celts prepared food and offered rituals to the god of death to soothe the dead and to chase away evil spirits, dressing up in a similar way so that the evil spirits did not mistake themselves for the same evil spirits created the current Halloween culture.
Until the mid-19th century, it was a small event held by Scottish and Irish immigrants who continued Celtic customs, but it became a representative festival of the United States in 1840 when the Irish famine moved many Irish people.
Pumpkin lantern Jack-O’-Lantern, the protagonist of Halloween Day night where people dress up with numerous characters and communicate with people who have forgotten each other out of their mind for a while! This character, which originated from the pumpkin lantern carried by the spirit of stingy Jack, who was condemned to enter neither Heaven or Hell, was loved by many for its terrifying and cute image. In addition, the characters funny enough to make Jack-O’-Lantern laugh have appeared through Halloween Day. (See Naver Knowledge Encyclopedia.)

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