All Hallows' Eve -Halloween

Learn and Earn As You Turn  (source:https//:shuttercock.com)

These abstract concepts of the dead, the ghosts, the spirits, the netherworld, sorcery and witchcraft, the purgatory, the heaven and hell, reincarnation and superstitions, beliefs and myths, legends and history, traditions, culture, and values make our social life far more cohesive, interactive and interesting. In spite of the existing scientific theories and innovations, gadgets and tools,  our beliefs and faiths, however primitive they may be, have always surpassed the space of public discourse across time and space.

Of many cultural events, one of the most widely and extravagantly celebrated festivals of the fall is fast knocking the yet silent doors in the western world is All Hallows' Eve-simply put-Halloween. Festivals and carnivals have always occupied a special place in the  Children's hearts. 

To have some basic idea about the Halloween festival in a jiffy, let's observe the summary chart of this mysteriously spooky festival before we make assumptions and misguide our children as to where the festival originated from and how it is celebrated especially in the United States.

 Halloween Summary Chart

Origin	It is believed to have started from the Celtic tribes in ancient Britain and Ireland who celebrated Samhain pronounced as /saʊn,ˈsaʊɪn,ˈsawɪn,Irish ˈsəʊnʲ/, the end of Summer, and the beginning of the Fall as a transition from the light to darkness.
Meaning	All hallows’ Evening-all souls’ day- the day when prayers are offered to release the souls that are supposed to be trapped between heaven and hell, the netherworld meaning the purgatory.
When	31st October-November 2nd (Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls’ Day respectively as per the church decree
Who	Mostly the followers of Christianity, but now as a non-religious festival
How	making a bonfire offering food and drink to the dead who return to their homes going treat or tricking (similar to Deusi-Bhailo in Nepal), (begging/ donating soul cakes to the needy expecting to get more prayers for the suffering dead),  collecting/offering candies by/to children,  disguising wearing creepy masks,   pulling pranks, some vandalism and mischiefs (now rare but the 1933 American Halloween was a tragedy-black Halloween for many)
Why	to welcome the new year by the Celtic tribes to appease the dead and stay harmless from the evil spirit,  to ease the suffering of the dead of the year, a great party for young adults, to celebrate the holiday in honour of the deceased
Who brought it to the USA	Halloween came to New England along with the influx of Irish emigrants during the Potato Famine (1845-1852)
Things, beings, places,  & times associated	cauldrons, brooms, black cats, bats and vampires, black crows, witches, graveyards, darkness, nights, the Holy cross, spooky masks, orange and black color, boogeyman, ghostly apparels, jack-0- lantern (turnip/pumpkin light), white shrouds, etcetera.
Halloween Business	The Dennison Manufacturing Company started to produce Halloween guides called boogey books and other durable prankster materials in 1937. Soon after the proliferation of television in 1966, Halloween became the major theme of cartoons, TV shows, and movies (like the 1978 blockbuster, Halloween which was widely enjoyed and it even set a new trend of horror films shifting the spooky characters of ghosts and goblins to human antagonists in the Hollywood) Now the masks and disguise of this festival is a multi-million business at malls and groceries with lifelike spooky experience at theme parks/venues and haunted houses like Halloween Horror Nights-Orlando, Knotts’ spooky Farm, California, Hersheypark in the Dark, Penn, and 4000 such others across the States.  Over 30 million people are likely to celebrate it with average spending of $200 each this year, 2021 thereby making it worth $ 6,000,000,000 business.
Halloween capital of the world	Anoka, Minnesota, USA

The ways and means of celebrating festivals may vary across human civilizations but the sole goal of all festivals is to bring everyone together and express their joys and freedom. Accepting this does not albeit mean allowing the wild nature in ours to act violently and be a nuisance in others' joys and freedom. Halloween is thus a festival of great rejoice and holiday for people of all ages. Let the festivals of the world be so appealing and appeasing that the global fraternity be strengthened and peace rules our minds for centuries to come. 

Reference

• Advexon Tv
• A&E Television Networks, LLC
• Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica
• Halloween History | National Geographic
• https://en.wikipedia.org/
• The Origins Of Halloween-phoenixXchannel

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