natto's blog

What’s Halloween?

　Halloween has become well-known also in Japan, hasn’t it?
It is said that English education introduced it to Japanese people.
Many English schools have their Halloween events, don’t they?

　In America Halloween is a popular event. On Oct. 31, children dressed in ghost costumes visit their neighbors.
They knock the door and say “trick or treat? ”,
which means “if you don’t give me any snack, I will play tricks instead.”
It seems to be a fun event for children.
I guess most of you know this kind of information.

　But do you know what it is actually a celebration of?
It originated with Celtic Ireland.
In the 5th century BC, the Celtic New Year started on Nov. 1.
So Oct. 31st was the New Years Eve.
On that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back and search for living bodies to possess for the next year.
It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife.
Naturally, the still-living didn’t want to be possessed.
So on the night of Oct. 31st, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes.
And they would dress up in *ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.

*ghoulish: of ghoul. ghoul is a spirit or phantom who are supposed to rob graves and feed on dead bodies.

The practices changed over time to become more ritualized.
As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.

And the custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840’s by Irish immigrants.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts,but with a ninth-century European custom called “souling”.
On Nov. 2nd, All Soul Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for “soul cakes”, made out of square pieces of bread with currants.
The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.
At that time after death, that prayers, even by strangers, could help souls head for heaven.

Today in Japan, I guess many adults enjoy Halloween instead of children.
They join Halloween parties at bars or somewhere being dressed in various costumes.
Do you? --- I am going to join one tonight!


日本語訳：

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