Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the last night of October. Traditional activities include trick-or-treating (children visit neighbors and ask for sweets by means of funny threats), costume parties (ghosts, witches, vampires and other evil spirits), bonfires, visiting «haunted houses», parades and etc.

People suppose, that the name of the holiday is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the eve of «All Hallows' Day». Nowadays, it is commonly known as All Saints' Day. Some modern Halloween traditions developed out of older pagan traditions, especially surrounding the Irish holiday Samhain, a day associated both with the harvest and otherworldly spirits.

The Americans are fond of the holiday most of all. The Spanish and French Jesuit missionaries brought their holiday of All Saints and All Souls to the United States of America in sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. All these Christians traditional ceremonies were combined with native celebrations and local traditions of Native Americans. These feast days are still celebrated by modern people.

Nowadays, the holiday is so popular all around the world (The United States of America, Europe, Australia and even Russia). Adults watch all of their favorite horror movies, visit special parties and parades with friends and relatives and entertain children with all kinds of sweets. Youngsters (children, teens) do all these things, but they also ask for sweets and scare people. Moreover, they like to get scary or to wear sexy or cute costumes and go to Halloween parties with friends. People like the holiday because it’s mysterious and awesome time, when everything is possible and miracles, daydreams and fairytales could come true.