You sure know about Halloween, don't you? At least you've heard of it. It is practically impossible not to have come across some allusion to the celebration. Even because the date is celebrated in several places around the world, in addition to being referenced in several famous works of pop culture, being even the name of a film franchise.
Halloween, as it is originally called, is a popular festival celebrated on October 31, mainly in the English-speaking countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Currently, it is much celebrated by children, who go out at night wearing costumes linked to the universe of the horror genre, to ask for sweets in homes.
Did you know that Halloween has its origins in ancient Celtic culture? Well, the date is nothing new and there is a lot of history behind Halloween. And while it is not officially celebrated here in España, we are all familiar with this day. Learn more about the date with the article we prepared for you!
When is Halloween celebrated?
And did you already know the date of Halloween? Be careful not to confuse it with folkloric days here in España, eh? It's different things. Traditionally, Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October. The date has Christian roots, as it is the eve of All Saints' Day (November 1), which, in turn, is the eve of All Souls' Day (November 2).
The festival is celebrated in several countries around the world. Unlike other popular holidays and celebrations that have undergone changes in their dates, Halloween is worshiped since its origins on this same day, as it marks the arrival of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
date origin
Halloween has very ancient origins, so old that there are several versions that explain the beginning of the celebration as we see it today. But before understanding about the more modern version, it is interesting to go back a little bit in time. Not a little bit, not many years: about 2.500 years.
Historians claim that, around the XNUMXth century BC, the ancient Celtic peoples, inhabitants of what we now know as Central Europe, held a great annual festival called Samhaim. The date marked the new year and the arrival of winter.
meaning of halloween
But this celebration was a real feast and they celebrated for three days. The main purpose of Samhaim was to establish a link between the worlds of the living and the dead. As the Celts believed in the power that the dead had in the world of the living, they protected themselves with various symbols: many of them survived time and today symbolize Halloween, such as the pumpkin and the mixture of orange and black.
But it was not until many centuries later, about 10, that the date became known as Halloween. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church defined the celebration as a pagan and heretical festival. Therefore, whoever participated would be persecuted and condemned!
Over the years, the Catholic Church incorporated elements of pagan cults into its canonical matrices. It was no different with the case of Halloween. All Saints' Day was moved to November 1st, precisely the second day of the Celtic celebration. Therefore, Halloween came to be called "All Hallw's Eve", which means "Eve of All Saints' Day". Later, the term was changed to “Halloween”.
From the Christian incorporation, several elements emerged and became classics over the years. The tradition of taking to the streets dressed in costume and asking “trick or treat” comes from Ireland, when a man, in 1910, led a procession and asked for offerings for farmers. Anyone who didn't was cursed by the demons.
Why isn't Halloween celebrated in Spain?
Despite not being part of the official calendar of holidays and celebrations in España, Halloween is usually remembered at pop culture events, parties and clubs, schools and other groups aimed at children.
It is possible to say that, around here, the date takes on a more marketing character, adopting a strong influence of North American pop culture. Who hasn't seen a horror movie that takes place during Halloween night?
Perhaps the closest thing to Halloween here is the Spanish Folklore Day, celebrated on August 22, because of the variety of legends, monsters and other entities of spiritual origin that are remembered during that date.
How to celebrate the date?
Despite not being officially celebrated here in Tupiniquin lands, Halloween can be remembered by you and your friends. If you don't want to let the date go blank, check out these celebration tips that you can adopt with lots of fun and creativity.
Watch movies about Halloween
Horror cinema is one of the most popular in the world. Whether in España, with Zé do Caixão, or in the United States, with Michael Myers, the films that make you cry are among the best and most fun. A good option to celebrate Halloween is to get your gang together and watch a good horror movie, especially if it's one that takes place during the day itself. Link to some tips.
“Halloween” (USA, 1978, dir. John Carpenter) — Available on Netflix and Prime Video
The father of slasher movies, “Halloween” is the first time we see ruthless killer Michael Myers. The film takes place during Halloween night, when Myers invades a small town in the United States and commits a series of murders. It is considered one of the best films by director John Carpenter, master of horror cinema.
“At midnight I will take your soul” (BRA, 1964, dir. José Mojica Marins) — Available on Globoplay
A great classic of national cinema and horror cinema, the film is one of the great productions of José Mojica Marins, better known as Zé do Caixão! Surely you've heard of this great figure, haven't you?
“The Exorcist” (USA, 1973, dir. William Friedkin) — Available on HBO Max
Considered by many to be the scariest movie of all, "The Exorcist" follows the entire martyrdom of a priest who tries to exorcise a teenager who has an ancient and evil spirit in her body.
“The Fly” (USA, 1986, dir. David Cronenberg) — Available on Star+
One of the weirdest and most disgusting films of the eighties, “The Fly” tells the story of a scientist who has an accident during an experiment and becomes a half-human, half-fly creature.
“The Witch” (USA, 2015, dir. Robert Eggers) — Available on Netflix, Prime Video and Globoplay
“The Witch” is one of the scariest movies of recent years. As it is set during the Middle Ages, it can be a good experience for Halloween. With a very serious and horrifying tone, it shows the effects that a witch causes in a family of peasants who live in the middle of nowhere.
“Suspiria” (ITA, 1977, dir. Dario Argento) — Available on Prime Video
“Suspiria” is one of the most electrifying and stylized films of the genre. The film follows a young woman who enters a boarding school for ballerinas. Little does she know that there is a plot full of witches that is hundreds of years old. The biggest film in the giallo, horror genre of Italian cinema.
Make a Halloween decoration
This is a tip that can be complementary to the previous one. Imagine how much fun that movie session with friends can be if you decorate your whole house with a Halloween theme? So get inspired by some ideas.
Use candlelight lighting and turn off the lamps. In addition to combining with the atmosphere of the cinema, it refers to the night period (when most of the halloween festivities take place). It is also possible to make an association with the candles left in honor of the dead. Your house goes with an old haunted house vibe.
Another creative tip for decoration is the use of cardboard bats (or another type of harder paper), scattered around the house, especially on the roof and upper parts of the walls. To increase this atmosphere of terror, you can insert spider webs of the same material or made of threads and cotton, to abuse the realism.
Don't forget the pumpkins (even better if they are real) and red drinks (juices, liqueurs, wines) to refer to the blood drunk by vampires. Scatter brooms around the house — even better if they're old. Take those old books from your bookshelf and spread them around the house. A haunted mansion atmosphere is welcome.
Create Halloween-inspired recipes
The big phrase already says “trick or treat”! A good Halloween should be filled with inventive and creative recipes that remind you of macabre stories and that are very tasty. Check out these options!
apple mummies
Ingredients:
- 3 red apples;
- 3 green apples;
- 12 drops of chocolate.
How to:
Separate each apple and remove the skin alternately, so that it resembles a rolled-up strip. Right after doing this with all the fruits, separate the chocolate chips and place them with eyes in the best possible way. Now it's time to compose your table of goodies and wait for the guests.
witches cocktail
Ingredients:
- 250g of strawberry;
- 1 cup of blueberry tea;
- 100g of red fruit pulp;
- 100ml of lemon flavored soda;
- 100ml of blackcurrant syrup;
- 3 tablespoons of sugar;
- 6 ice stones;
- Plastic spider to decorate the cup.
If you prefer an alcoholic option, replace the lemon soda with 100ml of rum.
How to:
Blend everything in a blender and strain. Place in a glass and decorate with strawberry syrup and the plastic spider.
Put on a costume!
The celebration can't be complete if you don't wear a costume. It is the most well-known and expected part of the modern Halloween tradition. So abuse creativity and pop culture references (cinema, literature, urban legends) and become the scariest (or funniest, if you wish) presence at your party.
Abuse the classics as they never go out of style. Costumes of classic monsters from literature, immortalized by the cinema of the 30s are a great choice: go all green and transform yourself into the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein, wear all the elegance of a black suit and become the luxurious and mysterious Count Dracula or wrap yourself in various pieces of fabric and be an ancient mummy! There are several options for those who like to return to the classics.
For those who are tuned in to the pop culture of the moment, a good tip is to make references to the hits of the moment. A choice that leaves no room for error is choosing characters and themes from the series “Stranger Things”. Whether Eleven or Vecna, success is guaranteed.
Witches and wizards are a great choice. Especially if you update these themes and these traditional figures. Take elements from the folklore of España or your city and incorporate them into your medieval witch costume. Or rather, insert elements from famous wizarding franchises, such as Harry Potter.
You may also like
- Uncover the Spiritual Side of Halloween
- Decipher the possible origin of Halloween
- Awaken the witch in you
So, are you ready or ready for Halloween? If you're a fan of the date, be sure to celebrate just because you're in España. After all, whoever throws the party is you, whatever the place or situation. It's a great reason to gather friends from work, school or college and do that review. If the goal is to play horror or do a lot of review, Halloween is the perfect time.
