In many parts of the world Halloween especially want to meet all those who are interested in spirituality, mysticism and magic. Whether they vuduistami orthodox adherents Maghreb magic, ayahuasca, or followers of the glorious traditions of the Celts. Religiosity is probably not the main component, for intersections in many religions, perhaps more than there are stars in the Milky Way
Halloween was invented by the Celts. The thing is that these people shared a year into two parts: summer and winter part. October 31 marks the end of the Celts harvest and New Year's Eve. On the last night of October to the Celtic beliefs, their sun god kidnaps the prince of darkness Samhain. That this night, once a year, opened the gates of hell, the dead souls come into our world and organize a carnival. To appease all this evil Celts exhibited at various street food, as well as the obligatory sacrifice was part of the crop.
But the most interesting - is the name of the holiday. Why Halloween? This holiday was the name much later, in the ancient Celts called this festival, as well as the prince of darkness - Samhain. In the IX century the Western Church forbade celebrate the pagan holiday and installed a celebration on the same day, the Christian holiday - the day of "All Saints". Priests were hoping that people will ask for protection of the saints, and will not curry favor with the evil spirit, for their own safety. But the Celtic people continued to celebrate Samhain and jokingly called him the same way as a Christian holiday - The All Hallows' Even, translated as "the eve of All Saints', which will be abbreviated - Hallow E 'En.
Halloween Traditions
Halloween is believed to have is the best time to communicate with spirits, because the fabric between the worlds of the day is the thinnest. Nowadays, Halloween is not just hand out, children dressed in costumes scary candy, but also organize games with fruit. This tradition became part of Halloween, when the Romans occupied the Celtic territory, it was then that the Roman traditions mingled with Celtic traditions. The Romans also had two traditional holiday - it Feraliya, commemoration of the dead, is celebrated at the end of October and the second festival in honor of the goddess of fruit and trees - Pomona. The symbol of the holiday was the second apple, which is why Halloween organize games with these fruits. In England, there is even a game - eat an apple floating in the water, without touching it with his hands. According to legends, who will gather more apples, he will be more successful in the new year. If the girl turned to disrupt the apple from the branch, it was thought that she will get married this year.
Another tradition - the ignition of fires in the hope that the sun will stay brighter longer and help the growth of the crop. Bonfire attracts mosquitoes, which in turn attract bats and owls that are included in the mythology of Halloween. Bonfires were thought to also help attract fairies; many believe that this is why Halloween was accompanied disguises - to become someone else. The costumes were also made in order to frighten or deceive evil spirits.
Business Card Halloween --lantern pumpkin. Why this attribute? This tradition has been seen as the Irish legend of Jack of lamp. Jack was a drunkard and trickster, and one day, he managed to fool even Satan. He drove the devil up the tree and let him come down in exchange for a promise that the soul of Jack did not go to hell. Satan has kept his word, but Jack did not realize that the doors of heaven for him permanently closed because of his wicked deeds. Soul Jack was forced to wander in the eternal cold emptiness, and that Jack could see the way, Satan gave him a lamp in the form of a hollowed turnip with charcoal inside. When the Irish came to America, they found that pumpkins are much more convenient for "lamps Jack" than turnips. So candlelit pumpkin has become the main symbol of Halloween. Light a candle in the lantern pumpkin performs the same function as the spark fires of druids - it shows the spirits, where to go, and also protects against evil forces.
Suit
Well, what kind of Halloween without a costume? In fact, the tradition to wear costumes of all evil - it's not just entertainment, the Celts believed that evil spirits dressed them, do not know the real spirits who may encounter them on Halloween night. Since nowadays quite popular Halloween costume can be purchased in a store or rent. But it is also possible to make a suit and with his own hands, it all depends on your skills and imagination. I can cite as an example the most simple costume for Halloween - witch costume. For him, you will need to find in her wardrobe just 4 things:
Black sweater (golf, blouse, dress, etc.)
Black gloves.
Black wig with long hair.
Black hat with large fields.
The final touch - make-up in the style of a la Gothic, and you can go out to scare people.
Halloween in Russia
Despite the fact that Halloween has appeared in Russia recently, he successfully found their fans and gained their traditions. This festival is very popular among young people who love to celebrate it in nightclubs and discos. To this end, many entertainment preparing for Halloween various Halloween-party. Well, those who are going to celebrate Halloween at home to take care that the apartment was an atmosphere of celebration of All Saints. To do this, you certainly need a pumpkin big and small, to make them flashlights. This flashlight is quite simple. With a sharp knife cut off the tip of the pumpkin, then spoon the pumpkin is cleaned from the seeds and fibers. Also neatly cut the flesh to the pumpkin wall thickness does not exceed 2 cm. Using the pen on a pumpkin smiley drawn and cut along the contours of a sharp knife. Now you can put a candle inside - flashlight ready!
What to cook for Halloween?
Holiday does not happen without treats and Halloween is no exception! On the table must be a dish of apples, pumpkins, and various cakes. Here are some recipes that will help you set the table in accordance with the Celtic tradition. I think everyone knows how to cook pumpkin pie, but the recipe pumpkin Plăcintă - for many will be a novelty! Of course, do not forget about apples and baking!
Plăcintă with pumpkin
350 g flour, 1 egg, 100 g of sugar, 150 g of margarine, 400 g of purified pumpkin. Pumpkin mince prepared from purified from the skin and seeds of the pumpkin. Pumpkin rub on a grater, salt and give a little stand, and then gently squeeze and add sugar. Prepare fresh dough. Roll out a large round cake, brush with margarine. Put into the middle of the stuffing and pumpkin edges of the dough together. Bake in the oven at a temperature of 200-220 ° C. After baking, cut into pieces and Plăcintă oiled.
Apple slices in the dough
Prepare dough. To do this, mix the melted butter in a pan with egg yolks, add 1 tbsp. spoonful of cold milk, add a little flour, 1 tbsp. spoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, stir and dissolve the remaining milk, put whipped into a thick foam egg whites and mix gently from bottom to top, the proteins are not settled. The dough should be the consistency, as the average density of sour cream. Apples (best Antonov) peel and core, cut into neat slices 1/2 cm thick, pour the sugar and let soak for 25-30 minutes. After that, each slice of apple to take a fork, dip in batter cooked and put in a pan with hot oil. Roast apples must be on low heat until until they are lightly browned on both sides. Pan with apples put on for 5 minutes in the oven with the average heat. Ready apples lay on a plate or dish, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Vanilla cupcake
Dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add salt and add flour, knead the dough, roll it into a ball, make an incision along the radius of the top, lower the dough into the pan with warm water (2-2, 5 liters), cover and put in a warm place Lifting. Separate the egg white-erase with sugar and vanilla, add the softened butter and rub together to splendor. When the dough rise in the amount of approximately 2 times, pull it out of the water with a slotted spoon and shift into another bowl, knead, then add eggs, worn with sugar and butter, knead again so that the dough is smooth and lagged behind the dish, add the raisins and desire - peeled chopped nuts or almonds. Dough shift in form (up to 1/2 of its height), cover with a cloth and put in a warm place. Once the dough has risen, and fill out a form about 3/4 height, put the cake baking in the oven for 30-50 minutes. Ready to take out the cake from the mold, sprinkle with powdered sugar, put on a plate with a paper towel and serve.
Games and entertainment for Halloween
The holiday was a success, of course, you need to create an appropriate atmosphere. This will help us play! Since Halloween is associated with sinister spirits of the game, which we consider to be appropriate. Spirit Halloween - it's fear and terror, so in such a holiday would be appropriate game called "bloody mess". For this game you need a big pot of spaghetti and tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is poured into spaghetti, all thoroughly mixed, then there poured a variety of key chains, badges, keys and other small items. All this mixture is poured into a large bowl. Players are blindfolded, and they begin to look at this pelvis these items. The winner is the one who will find more items. Very entertaining game with apples, it is particularly popular with children. In a basin filled with water, and go to apples. The essence of the game - who will be able to get more apples out of the water without using their hands, just teeth. Like this game - a game with donuts. Donuts with a hole in the middle of the rope suspended from a doorway. The players on the pitch trying to eat donuts without touching her hands. Who eats first, he won! Holiday atmosphere we have created so - not boring you Halloween!
© Author - Oksana Chvanova, Astromeridian.ru