Halloween night and All Saints' Day. What relationship exists? Did you know that at Hispania, a Spanish school, we love to celebrate Halloween? Our teachers usually dress up as vampires or the undead and conduct related themed classes. It's to die for! 😁 In
Did you know that in Hispania, Spanish school, we love to celebrate the day of halloween?
Our teachers usually dress up of vampires or the living dead and conduct related thematic classes.
It's to die for! 😁
In today's article we talk about the night of halloween and the All Saints' Day and what relationship and differences are there between these two ways of celebrating the night of the October 31 and November 1.
Put on your best costume, a terrifying night awaits us! 👻
Normally we associate halloween with the United States.
But in reality the origin of halloween goes back to the ancient celtic traditions celtic traditions.
They celebrated halloween during the night of October 31.
During That night the world of the living intermingled with that of the dead. Souls of all kinds, both good and evil, could roam the streets.
How scary! No? 😖
During this night, known as Samhain, the Celts they left offerings at the doors of their homes for these souls and lit candles to guide them to their world.
They also wore costumes and masks to confuse the spirits or even scare them.
Very similar to how we continue to celebrate it today, don't you think?
This celebration spread throughout England and Ireland and later reached the United States.
On the other hand, All Saints' Day comes from the christian religion.
It is celebrated the day after halloween, the November 1.
It was originally a day for honor and venerate all the saints that not They had their own festival on the calendar.
Nowadays people usually bring flowers to the cemetery for their deceased relatives as a gesture of respect and love for them.
the word halloween, “All Hallows Eve”, means “All Saints' Eve” in Spanish.
Halloween is the prelude to All Saints' Day. It happens just the night before this day. The two holidays are related to the dead.
Both festivals have religious origins.
Halloween is pagan origin and All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday.
Currently, the night of halloween is associated with dress up and have a good time with friends.
Children also usually enjoy it by going to their neighbors' houses and asking for candy with the famous phrase: “Trick or treat.”
If you are in Valencia, there are many ways to enjoy the night of Halloween in Valencia: since celebrate at home with your friends, until enjoying a horror show in a shopping center.
Do you like to dance?
Then go to a nightclub in Ruzafa or El Carmen.
There is nothing more fun than going to a good party dressed as a skull! 💃🕺
On the contrary, on the day of All Saints It's usually one more day quiet and familiar.
People go to the cemetery to visit their deceased relatives and leave them flowers. For many families it is a very emotional.
That's what people usually do All Saints' Day in Valencia.
Although the truth is that nowadays many people do not take it so seriously and take the opportunity to go on a getaway, especially if it falls on the weekend.
In Spain, Halloween night It had never been a cause for celebration until a few decades ago due to the influence of the United States.
Instead, the All Saints' Day is a public holiday with many years of history.
Ah! I forgot!
Traditional dishes are also eaten, as in any celebration. 😋
Many families cook wind fritters, chestnuts or saint's bones.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about halloween?
The pumpkins with terrifying faces, right?
Where does this tradition come from?
Basically it was a way that the Celts used to mislead or scare away evil spirits from their homes.
Although in reality, the Celts used turnips.
They were the Irish people who started using pumpkins when they emigrated to the United States because there was much more abundance of this fruit.
Do you want make a halloween pumpkin to put it on the door of your house and have all the people scream in fear when they see it? 🤗
It's very easy. We give you a series of instructions:
Ready! If you make a pumpkin following these instructions, you will surely be the envy of your neighbors on Christmas Eve. halloween.
Do you want invite your friends home on Halloween night and that everything is perfectly set?
Dark lighting!
Turn off artificial light and place candles throughout the house, thus creating a dark and disturbing atmosphere.
Do you want to give a speech at the table?
Place your face just above a candle and you will see that long shadows are created on your face.
Your friends will have a hard time looking at you because you'll be scary. 🤣
If you like crafts There are several things you can do:
For example, we can create small characters in a very simple way, with toilet paper rolls.
If we paint one green and put plastic eyes on it, we already have Frankenstein.
If we cover another person with white gauze, he will look like a mummy.
Get creative and create characters from your favorite horror movies.
other ornament Very original and fun is to buy some roses, paint them black and put an eye inside them... a plastic eye, not really! 🤣🤣
I'm sure you can find it in a costume shop
In these stores you can find all kinds of accessories such as cobwebs, toy skulls or plastic strips that are hung on the walls.
And let's not forget the most important thing... The costumes!
Who are you going to dress up as this year?
¿Dracula or Frankenstein? Classics never go out of style.
Or maybe something more modern? ¿The paper house or Joker?
Surprise your friends with an original costume and have a great time... or, rather: have a great time! 😁
And don't forget that children have a lot of fun at this party. There are also many Halloween costumes for children.
The Celts celebrated the night of halloween October 31 for a clear reason:
That night was last of summer and it meant that the cold began of autumn and later of winter.
In addition, it was the beginning of the days with many night hours and less activity on the streets.
In many cultures, death has always been associated with darkness, cold and silence. Makes sense, don't you think?
The date of All Saints' Day It was originally May 13.
However, in theIn 731, Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV changed it to November 1., thus coincided with Irish tradition.
As you can see, this festival is super old and is still celebrated.
Don't you think it's incredible?
All Saints' night takes place in the night of November 1 and gives way to another special day: the Day of the Dead (or the Day of the Dead).
Did you know that in other countries the day of the dead is it very important?
It is very popular for example in Mexico and is celebrated November 2. This day is to remember and venerate our loved ones who have passed away.
In Spain, November 2 is not a holiday, but the commemoration of our deceased is also celebrated on All Saints.
Did you know that there is a movement against Halloween night in some European countries?
Well yes, it started in France in 2002 and it is called Holywins. In Spain it began to be celebrated in 2008.
This alternative to halloween was born to counteract the strength that the party was gaining in Europe since the beginning of the 21st century.
The name of Holywins In Spanish it means: “Holiness wins.”
The catholics created it because halloween It is a pagan festival and is not linked in any way to the Christian faith.
In Holywins, Catholics go to Church to pray and young people can only dress up as saints
Dinners, workshops or other activities are also held.
Above all,It seeks to reinforce the importance of the festival of All Saints.
In this article we have tried to give you a lot of information about halloween and All Saints' Day.
Surely now you have a better idea of how these festivities are celebrated in Spain and Europe.
See you at the party!
Remember to dress in your best costume. 😉
Article written by Carlos Martinez for Hispania, Spanish school
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