Dress Up on Halloween!

When people think of Halloween they think fancywould turn off all the lights in their houses, dress up
dress costumes, trick or treating, pumpkins and ghostin scary costumes and cause mayhem in the town in
stories. Just like any other holiday that we celebratean attempt to scare the spirits away. This theory
the true meaning has been forgotten and mostwas so popular that the Roman Catholics later
people don't even know how these traditions started.adopted these practices as their own making them
Halloween is one of the most fun customs celebratedeven more popular and widespread. However, over
around the world. For children it's all about dressing upthe years spirit possession became less popular and
and getting as many sweets as possible and forpeople started dressing up as witches, goblins and
adults it's all about dressing up and having a drink ordemons in a more ceremonial manner.
two. Note the common occurrence is dressing up - aIt is a common misconception that Halloween is an
practice that is hundreds of years old and is stillAmerican holiday. However, traditions such as Boys
performed to this day. What is it about fancy dressClothes fancy dress costumes and ghosts weren't
costumes that gets everyone so excited and whyintroduced in America until the famous potato famine
do we actually dress up on Halloween?which hit Ireland in the 1840s. Desperately seeking
The word Halloween derives from the term "Allrefuge many Irish residents fled to America taking
Hallows Eve" which occurred the night before Alltheir Halloween celebrations with them.
Hallows Day and was a Roman Catholic holiday thatEven though people now Boden Girls celebrate
celebrated the saints. However, even before peopleHalloween very differently to how they did many
started celebrating All Hallows Day, the Celtic Irishcenturies ago, people all over the world still dress up
celebrated the 31st October as the New Year. Itin fancy dress costumes at Halloween today. Many
was believed that on the eve of this day the spiritsbelieve that dressing up is a tribute to the devil when
of the recently deceased would re - enter the bodiesin fact the exact opposite is the case as it was
of the living for a chance of an afterlife.originally started as an attempt to save peoples' souls
Naturally scared and fearing for their souls, the Celtsfrom demons and to celebrate the saints.