People all over the world practice a variety of different customs and traditions. What is your favorite tradition that you celebrate? My favorite is Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve. Halloween has a very long and fascinating history and its traditions have been changing and evolving into the holiday that we celebrate today.
Halloween’s is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sah-win) celebrated on November first. This was the day that the Celtics celebrated the start of the New Year which marked the end of the summer harvest and the start of winter. The Celts believed that October 31, the day before the New Year, was where the veil between the world of the living and the dead became blurred. In the article History of Halloween, Benjamin …show more content…
This tradition can be traced back to the old Celtic story of Stingy Jack. As it is written by the history channel, “According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.”(History.com) Because of this, after Jack died God would not let him enter heaven and keeping true to his promise, the devil did not collect his soul. Locked out of both heaven and hell Stingy Jack was forced to wander the earth for the rest of eternity with only a burning coal in a carved out turnip to light his way. Halloween has a very old roots but the tradition still goes strong in today’s
Halloween’s is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sah-win) celebrated on November first. This was the day that the Celtics celebrated the start of the New Year which marked the end of the summer harvest and the start of winter. The Celts believed that October 31, the day before the New Year, was where the veil between the world of the living and the dead became blurred. In the article History of Halloween, Benjamin …show more content…
This tradition can be traced back to the old Celtic story of Stingy Jack. As it is written by the history channel, “According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.”(History.com) Because of this, after Jack died God would not let him enter heaven and keeping true to his promise, the devil did not collect his soul. Locked out of both heaven and hell Stingy Jack was forced to wander the earth for the rest of eternity with only a burning coal in a carved out turnip to light his way. Halloween has a very old roots but the tradition still goes strong in today’s