Halloween, one of the oldest holidays in the Western European tradition, has become the second most popular holiday in this country in dollars spent...to the tune of more than $6 billion.
The day has it's roots in the festival of Samain, which celebrated the end of the year for the Celtic people of Northeastern Europe. October 31st was the last night of the year, when ghosts and demons were believed to roam the earth. At the turn of the seasons, an opening between the two worlds was believed to appear...and the dead were with us for a day and a night. The holiday consisted of building bonfires, dressing up in costumes to scare away the evil spirits, and offering food/drink to family members who had returned to visit the home.
In 835, Pope Gregory III attempted to divert the attention of the Celts from celebrating this old pagan ritual. He made November 1st All Saints Day, and October 31st became All Hallows Eve. Instead of providing food and drink to the spirits, Christians were encouraged to provide food and drink to the poor.
In the United States, the Puritans tried to outlaw Halloween, partly because of it's association with Catholicism. However, when Irish Catholics began emigrating to this country after the potato famines of the 1840s, the holiday re-emerged. Halloween was a day to let off steam by pulling off pranks, e.g. hoisting wagons onto barn roofs, mischief involving outhouses, etc. Treats evolved as a way to bribe the mischief-makers and protect the homes.
According to the National Retail Foundation, in 2005 the most popular costume for kids will be a "princess", with 3.8 million costumes sold. For adults, the "witch" reigns supreme with 3.9 million outfits purchased by the broomstick-wielding revelers.
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
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