Halloween 2022 in Our Country: the history and traditions of the holiday

For s, Halloween is a relatively new holiday. In fact, its history goes back to antiquity. For many, this day is associated with rampant evil spirits (and often not without reason), but in fact this holiday was originally almost puritanical.

The current Halloween is a modified holiday of the ancient Celts called Samhain. Once upon a time they inhabited the vast territory of Europe, but they left a particularly significant mark on the lands of present-day Great Britain, Ireland and Northern France. From there, a holiday called Halloween went.

When is Halloween in 2022

The holiday was formed due to the fact that the Celts, who divided the year into two equal halves, considered the first period – from May to October – good and bright, and the period from November to April – cold and, accordingly, a time of evil and darkness. Night from October 31 to November 1 was the boundary between these two segments of the year – it is she who falls on Halloween in 2022. By the way, the night from April 30 to May 1, popularly called Walpurgis, is a mirror reflection of Samhain, when goodness and light allegedly return to earth.

According to the ideas of the Celts, on the night of Samhain, an invisible door opened between our world and the world of spirits, through which deceased relatives could look to visit their living descendants.

But along with them, all kinds of evil spirits could penetrate into the world of people. And the Celts took many measures to protect themselves and their homes from all these monsters: they gathered around the fires with their druid priests, made sacrifices to their pagan gods, put on animal skins to scare away evil spirits, brought fire from the sacred fire into their homes …

How Samhain turned into Halloween: the history of the holiday

With the advent of Christianity in Europe, pagan holidays were pushed aside. And then they began to completely replace them with new ones – Christian ones. The occasion for fun remained, but the meaning changed dramatically.

In the VIII century, Pope Gregory III decided to postpone to November 1 Allhallows. And October 31 was the eve of this holiday. In English it sounded like All Hallows Even, which was subsequently reduced to a concise Halloween.

Halloween Today: Celebration Traditions

However, the old pagan traditions could not be eradicated. And today, many people continue to associate Halloween not with Christian saints at all, but with the pagan belief that on this night the boundaries between the worlds are erased.

Ancient traditions, having experienced some transformation, still exist today. Only instead of animal skins on Halloween, it is customary to wear costumes. And often so terrible that any evil spirits, as it was believed, would certainly be horrified and take to their heels.

In many countries, the treat for the spirits today is given to children walking from house to house in colorful costumes.

And the sacred fire is still brought into the house in lanterns carved from a gourd. By the way, it is not clear whether the pumpkin figured in the original traditions. According to some versions, it was a turnip or swede.

Halloween in Our Country

Halloween came to us in the 90s, and has not yet acquired traditions similar to those that exist in Europe or America, where Halloween has been celebrated for centuries.

The Orthodox Church does not approve of Halloween. As by the way, the Council of Muftis of Our Country. It is because of its pagan connotations – whatever one may say, but the Celtic Samhain is associated with death, while Christianity tells us about eternal life. Protection from all evil for a Christian is faith in God, without alien ancient rituals. And the Orthodox have their own All Saints’ Day – it falls on the first Sunday after the feast of the Holy Trinity in June.

However, s treat Halloween simply as an occasion to have fun, dress up in fancy costumes, and spend time with friends. Like many holidays in other countries that came to Our Country, Halloween has lost its original meaning, lost some of its traditional rituals and acquired new ones.

Today, Halloween-parties are held in many clubs on the night of November 1st. The presence of a costume and a pumpkin lantern at such events is welcome. Those who have no desire to go to the club organize house parties. Here you can let go of your imagination and have a lot of fun decorating your home, inventing holiday makeup and inventing themed treats.

Halloween costume and makeup ideas

Halloween costumes and makeup are usually inventive and can be made from any materials at hand. The image does not have to be scary – many on this day dress up as characters in their favorite films or cartoons. Let’s get inspired together with a selection of Halloween looks from around the world.

Halloween Treat Ideas: The Best Recipes

Witch Fingers‎

Creepy finger-shaped cookies are unlikely to be cooked for any other occasion than Halloween. But for this holiday they will be more relevant than ever. They are pretty easy to make, even if you’re not much of a cook.

Take the butter out of the fridge to let it thaw to room temperature. Add sugar to it and beat. Then add vanilla sugar and egg. Whisk everything together for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually stir the resulting mixture into the butter – as a result, you should get a firm, but not sticky dough. We put it in the refrigerator for half an hour.

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the refrigerator. We pinch off small pieces from it and roll them into sausages. We give each sausage the shape of a finger – flatten the dough on the sides in the upper and lower parts, then press down on top to make the “finger” flatter. With a toothpick, you can draw stripes on the phalanges. We spread the tip of the sausage with jam, you can also mark the wrinkles of the fingers with it. Then we put almonds on the tip of the “finger” – this is a nail – and press lightly.

We put baking paper on a baking sheet, lay out our “fingers” on it so that they do not touch each other. We send it to the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Apples in caramel

This is a traditional Halloween recipe and a delicious treat for any occasion.

Before starting to cook caramel, we prepare apples and decorations: wash and dry the fruit with a towel, remove the stalks. In the place where the tail grew, chop the apples on wooden sticks. Put them in the freezer – they should cool, but should not freeze. Spread the sprinkling on plates, prepare the leaves from the mastic in advance – then you will not have time for this.

To prepare caramel in a deep saucepan, mix water, sugar, dye and lemon juice, put on medium heat, stir well. Then turn the heat down to low and melt the sugar. The mixture can be gently stirred with a non-metallic spatula, and adhering sugar can be removed from the walls of the dishes so that it does not burn. As soon as the sugar melts, increase the heat – the caramel should boil for 7-8 minutes and become homogeneous and slightly thick. After that, turn off the stove and let the caramel cool down – the surface of a properly prepared mass should be smooth, without bubbles and bumps. While it is cooling, prepare a dish lined with parchment or greased with a thin layer of odorless vegetable oil – you will put apples on it. Take the fruit out of the freezer and pat it dry with a paper towel to prevent condensation from forming on it.

Immerse the fruit in a saucepan, holding it by the skewer. It is better to tilt the stewpan to one side, so the whole apple can be placed in the syrup. Spread the syrup over the surface of the fruit, scrolling it around its axis. Wait until the excess caramel drains and remove the apple from the saucepan. If you want to decorate it with sprinkles, now is the time. Transfer the apple to the prepared dish and let it rest. Caramel hardens in a couple of minutes, so you can quickly serve the finished dessert. And from the remnants of the syrup, you can form caramel sweets.

creepy snacks

If you don’t want to spend time preparing special dishes, but you want to celebrate Halloween, you can make any dish creepy. Get creative – add artificial eyes to dry snacks – nuts, chips, sweets – let your guests find an unexpected surprise. Or decorate sliced ​​sausages with ketchup in such a way that the plate looks like a crime scene. Done: you are amazing, and your Halloween party will be legendary for a long time to come.

How to carve a pumpkin

The main accessory that is associated with the holiday is the Jack-o’-lantern – a pumpkin with a scary (or not so) muzzle carved on it. It is believed that if you insert a candle inside such a pumpkin, Jack’s light will drive away the evil spirits of Halloween.

The traditional meaning of this symbol is now almost lost, but the Jack-lantern has become an integral attribute of the holiday. You can easily make it at home.

Step 1. Choose a pumpkin

Choose a young fruit that does not have a very hard surface, no damage and rotten places. The pumpkin must have a flat bottom so that the finished Jack can stand on a horizontal surface.

Step 2. Clean out the insides

Carefully cut off the top of the pumpkin, it should be round and even. Subsequently, we will cover the finished Jack with this cap. Remove the pulp and seeds through the hole, for this it is best to use a spoon with pointed edges. Another option is to carefully cut the flesh on all sides and then scrape it out with a tablespoon. Do not be too zealous – the thin walls of the pumpkin are not needed throughout the area. Choose the side on which you will cut Jack’s face, it should be treated with special attention. From this side, scrape the pulp properly, the thinner the surface of the pumpkin, the easier it is to cut it later.

Step 3. Draw the face

Take a regular marker, it is clearly visible on the surface of the vegetable. Jack’s classic muzzle is triangular eyes and a toothy grin. But of course, you can show your imagination and give your character a unique appearance.

Step 4. Cut out the face

You will need a thin sharp knife. Drive it into the surface of the pumpkin at a right angle, it will be easier. Cut out Jack’s face along the lines you drew. Be careful, this activity is not as simple as it seems, and the knife is, after all, a sharp object.

Step 5 Prepare Jack for Longevity

So that the pumpkin does not fade ahead of time, grease the edges of all cuts (including on the cap) with petroleum jelly. On the lid, make through holes so that the heat from the candle goes through them. If desired, Jack’s insides can be rubbed with cinnamon or cloves so that the pumpkin not only shines, but also smells sweet.

Step 6 Insert the Candle

The candle will burn longer if you first hold it for a couple of hours in the freezer. Place a candlestick on the bottom of the pumpkin so that the candle is in a stable position. Light it up and your Jack’s face will light up. Ready! Now no evil spirits are afraid of you. Most importantly, remember that fire is dangerous, and do not forget to put out the candle in time.

Halloween playlist

Music is responsible for the atmosphere of any holiday. Songs for the New Year and birthday are familiar to everyone and immediately set the right mood. What about Halloween? This day also has recognizable melodies. We have put together a complete playlist for your terrifying party.

Listen to the Halloween Playlist – Choice of Healthy Food Near Me on Yandex.Music

Popular questions and answers

What else you need to know about the scariest holiday of the year.