1. Trick-or-treat
The most famous activity of Halloween is "Trick-or-treat". Children dress up in various scary costumes and ring the neighbor's doorbell from door to door, shouting: "Trick or Treat!" The host (who may also be wearing a scary costume) will give out some candies, Chocolates or small gifts. Some families even use sound effects and smoke machines to create a scary atmosphere. Of course, most families are very happy to entertain these innocent children, so the candy they get in one night is often measured in bags, and the whole bag is carried home.
In Scotland, when children ask for candy, they will say: "The sky is blue, the grass is green, may we have our Halloween." (The sky is blue, the earth is green, let's celebrate together. Halloween), and then perform performances such as singing and dancing to get candy.
There are generally two theories about the origin of "trouble without being invited". One is that the Irish pagans in ancient Western Europe believed that ghosts would gather near their homes on Halloween and accept banquets. Therefore, after the "banquet" is over, the villagers dress up as ghosts and elves and wander outside the village to guide the ghosts away and avoid evil spirits and disasters. At the same time, the villagers also pay attention to placing fruits and other foods in the front and back yards of their houses to feed the ghosts enough so that they will not harm humans and animals or plunder other harvests. Later, this custom continued and became a joke for children to make fun of ungenerous families.
Another theory is that the European Christian Church began in the ninth century AD. At that time, November 2 was called “ALL SOULS DAY” by Christians. On this day, believers trek through remote countryside and go from village to house begging for "soul cakes" made of flour and raisins. It is said that the families who donated the cakes believed in the prayers of the church monks and expected to receive God's protection and allow their deceased relatives to enter heaven as soon as possible. This tradition of begging from house to house has evolved into a game in which children carry pumpkin lanterns and beg for sweets from house to house. When they met, the children dressed up as ghosts and elves always threatened to "make trouble if you don't ask for food." Naturally, the host did not dare to neglect, and kept saying "Please eat! Please eat!" while putting candies into the children's hands. Carry it in the large pocket.
Traditional Halloween costumes include zombies, ghosts, witches, demons, etc. The most typical costume is a piece of cloth with two eye holes cut out to dress up as a ghost. In Scotland and Ireland in the 19th century, people at that time believed that ghosts would come to the world on Halloween, so they would dress up like ghosts to make the ghosts think of themselves as the same kind. In recent years, Halloween costumes are no longer limited to scary ones, but can be dressed up in any kind of costumes, such as TV or movie stars, politicians, etc. In 2004, which coincided with the US presidential election, George Bush and John Kerry became popular Halloween costumes in the United States. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, firefighters, police officers, etc. became the targets of children's role-playing. It is estimated that in 2004, approximately 2.15 million American children dressed up as Spider-Man, making it the most popular costume that year.
UNICEF’s Trick-or-Treat program is widespread in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The project was launched in 1950. Small fundraising boxes are distributed to children through schools so that children can collect donations smoothly while asking for candy. It is estimated that more than $119 million has been raised in donations since its launch.
2. Pumpkin lanterns
On Halloween, many families put Jack-o-lanterns (also known as pumpkin lanterns) on the steps at the door. The children who cause trouble will wear fancy clothes and masks, and they will also hold a Jack-O-Lantern in their hands. Because the Jack-O-Lantern does not look scary, but is very funny and cute, and with the huge body of the pumpkin, people can see it from a long distance.
In ancient Irish stories, there is a drunkard named Jack who likes to play pranks very much.
One day Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and then carved a cross on the tree stump to intimidate the devil so that he did not dare to come down. Then Jack made a three-part agreement with the devil, asking the devil to agree to cast a spell, and let him do so on the condition that Jack would never commit a crime. Get off the tree. After Jack died, his soul could neither go to heaven nor go to hell, so his ghost had to rely on a small candle to illuminate and guide him to wander between heaven and earth.
In legend, this small candle is placed in a hollowed-out radish, which is called "Jack Lanterns". The ancient radish lanterns evolved to this day and are made of pumpkins. O'-Lantern. It is said that soon after the Irish arrived in the United States, they discovered that pumpkins were superior to radishes in terms of origin and carving, so pumpkins became a symbol of Halloween.
3. Bobbing for Apples
The most popular game on Halloween is "Bobbing for Apples". During the game, people let the apple float in a basin filled with water, and then asked the participants to bite the apple with their mouths without using their hands. Whoever bites the apple first is the winner.
IV. Others
In Ireland, there is a traditional divination game. Participants are blindfolded and choose one of several small dishes on the table. If the dish contains soil, it means that someone related to the participant will pass away in the coming year. If it contains water, it means traveling far, if it contains coins, it means getting rich, if it contains beans, it means being poor, etc. In Ireland in the 19th century, girls would put slugs on a plate sprinkled with flour. The traces of the slugs would be the appearance of the girl's future husband.
In North America, it is said that if an unmarried woman sits in a dark room on Halloween, she can see the appearance of her future husband in the mirror. However, if they die before getting married, a skull will appear in the mirror. This custom has been very popular since the late 19th century, and related greeting cards are also sold.
In some remote counties in northern England, there is a saying: On Halloween night, girls put an apple under their pillow before going to bed, make a wish for love, and pray secretly. Next, the first man to send you flowers is your destined Prince Charming.
“Because of the appearance of many ghosts, the aura is very strong, and many things will come true.” This saying continues to this day, and many girls in small towns will try this. If the person he likes really stands in front of him the next day holding a bouquet of flowers, this young man will be a lucky man. In fact, it is not difficult to be a lucky person. If young people know this ancient saying, they will act without anyone noticing.