Halloween, or Hallowe’en is also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve. It is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated in Britain and Ireland from Celtic harvest festivals which may have had pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, and that this festival was Christianised as Halloween.
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending Halloween costume parties, decorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple-bobbing and divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows’ Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows’ Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes and soul cakes.
With the rise of the internet and globalisation, Halloween has made its way to South Africa and this weekend many will be putting on their costumes and painting the night creepy.
Discovery Neighbourhood Blockwatch is another organisation that has adopted the tradition. Every year, the men and women who patrol the neighbourhood every night and ensure the community is safe hit the streets for some candy. They also safely escort children and their parents out at night to trick-or-treat.
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