Origins of Halloween

Samhain is the Celtic festival that was the ancestor of All Hallows
Eve and today's Halloween. Read more he
http://www.cultureplanet.com/news2.htm

On Oct 20, 10:46 am, "
wrote:
Samhain is the Celtic festival that was the ancestor of All Hallows
Eve and today's Halloween. Read more hehttp://www.cultureplanet.com/news2.htm

In Ireland, believed to be the birthplace of Halloween, the tradition
is still celebrated as much as it is in the United States. In rural
areas, bonfires are lit as they were in the days of the Celts and
children dress up in costumes to spend the evening "trick-or-treating"
in their neighborhoods. After the visiting, most people attend parties
with neighbors and friends. At these parties, many games are played,
including "snap-apple," in which an apple on a string is tied to a
doorframe or tree, and players attempt to take a bite out of the
suspended apple. In addition to bobbing for apples, parents often
arrange treasure hunts with sweets or pastries as the "treasure." The
Irish also play a card game where cards are laid face-down on a table
with sweets or coins beneath them. When a child selects a card, he or
she receives whatever prize might be found there. A traditional food
is eaten on Halloween called "barnbrack." This is a type of fruitcake
which can be baked at home or store-bought. A muslin-wrapped treat is
baked inside the cake which, so it is said, can foretell the future of
the one who finds it. If the prize is a ring, then that person will
soon be wed and a piece of straw means a prosperous year is
forthcoming. Children are also known to play tricks upon their
neighbors on Halloween night. One of which is known as "knock-a-
dolly," where children knock on the doors of their neighbors but then
run away before the door is opened.

travelbug
http://123kidsoftheworld.blogspot.com