Why Do You Do Halloween??

Halloween is a tradition celebrated on October 31st in most countries worldwide. It has become very commercialised and all month shops everywhere stock-up with the most hideous costumes and gory toys or whatever to go with said costumes. You can get adult down to child and baby dress up stuff, all the bakeries make cakes with Halloween related decorations on them  the tv is showing every possible horror and or scary movie that has ever been made, and of course the biggest thing is Pumpkins, they get carved into spooky faces. In some place this becomes a serious competition in some areas and the pumpkin work is actually quite intricate.

One of the most controversial element is the 'trick or treating', the idea is you go knocking on doors and ask for a 'treat' if nothing is given then a 'trick' is played.

 Unfortunately modern greed and anti-social behaviour has taken this to a very negative level in some countries,with Police being on alert throughout this particular evening. From experience I know that some people are scared terribly on Halloween night, and do not welcome this evening.

Halloween was or is also know as All Hallows Evening, a Christian feast, a time of remembering the dead, including saints martyrs and all the faithful departed, and also to remember ancestors and closely departed family members would be the more modern take.

There is the festival of Samhain which marked the end of the harvest season, and the onset of winter, it was seen as a time when the spirits could come in to our world, it was respected and feared by people, who ensured blessings to keep safe; they offered food, drink or portions of their crops for the souls if they visited their home. The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night or day of the year seems to have ancient origins in many cultures throughout the world.

 It has been said that 'Proof of our society's decline is that Halloween has become a broad day event for many', the money that is spent on dressing up  children from a small age who have no idea why, and all of a sudden it is ok to eat as many sweets as you can with out any thought of why.

So if you are celebrating Halloween at least know why you are doing it, whose soul are you remembering? Or are celebrating the onset of the winter months?  Are you thanking the spirits for the food you have? Enjoy all the traditions, have fun dressing up as witches and ghosts, but remember some where some one may be watching you!!!!!!!