The history and origin of halloween

[Т А Кузнецова]

A quick guide to the origin and history of Halloween

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/History-Of-Halloween.htm

Halloween is round the corner and not long ago I came across a new site to explore more about Halloween.

The site is very informative and suitable for learners of all ages.

Here is a part of the story:

What is Halloween?

Halloween is a secular holiday combining vestiges of traditional harvest festival celebrations with customs more peculiar to the occasion such as costume wearing, trick-or-treating, pranksterism, and decorative imagery based on the changing of the seasons, death, and the supernatural. It takes place on October 31.

Though it was regarded up until the last few decades of the 20th century as primarily a children's holiday, in more recent years activities such as costume parties, themed decorations, and even trick-or-treating have grown increasingly popular with adults as well, making Halloween a celebration for all ages.

What does the name 'Halloween' mean?

The name Halloween (originally spelled Hallowe'en) is a contraction of All Hallows Even, meaning the day before All Hallows Day (better known today as All Saints Day), a Catholic holiday commemorating Christian saints and martyrs observed since the early Middle Ages on November 1.

Inside the story there are links to find more.