Halloween as you know is on October 31st. Most of you will be dressing up making lanterns and trying to scare each other. But what is Halloween really all about? The name originates from Hallows Eve. In the catholic religion it is the day before All Saints, which is followed by All Souls. It is a pagan tradition that Christianity decided to change in order to make it a Christian holiday. Some Christians believe Halloween to be a pagan festival and don't celebrate it for this reason. A lot of people consider it harmless fun. But the fact it falls just before All Saints and All Souls reminds us of death and what it means.
Halloween is meant to be spooky and frighten us with ghosts, witches, bats and fierce looking teeth. Anything that involves the night and death are what we think of when Halloween comes around. The pumpkin only comes in to season in the autumn and its orange is an autumn colour. Orange is also a colour together with black that is very much a part of the tradition of Halloween. Jack - o - lanterns as they are known as, are carved pumpkins with scary faces, were used to ward off evil spirits in the old days. Trick or treat seems to have originated from the Celts. It is also popular in America. Personally I am against trick or treat as to me it smacks of bribery. Either you can give a treat or you will get a nasty trick played on you. It's not the kind of behaviour you want to encourage. It's neither nice nor charitable and seems selfish and greedy. A boy I knew once pointed out that it could frighten old people. This was why he had decided no longer to participate in it. So although it seems harmless for young children it does have a negative side too. You may want to play the traditional games like bobbing apples, where you to try and get an apple out of a bowl of water only using your teeth. Foods also have a tradition and most countries probably have their own particular favourites. In Ireland they have a brack which is a round loaf of bread with fruit in. It usually has a ring inside. If you get the ring it is supposed to mean romance or happiness. So if you are planning to celebrate Halloween enjoy it. And if you are going trick - or - treating, have fun, be careful and be nice and think of the effect on others as well.

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