October 31st! The scariest day of the year! This day only comes once a year, so you better have your candy stocked and your costumes ready with petrifying Garden decorations. You better be prepared because Halloween is right around the corner.
Despite the ancient history and mysteriousness behind Halloween, today Halloween is just known for its trick or treating, block parties, dressing up and tons of plastic decorations.
Have many of you actually known the true history behind Halloween and why we celebrate it? Well before we get started, just don’t forget to check the closet before you go to sleep on Halloween night.
When is Halloween?
Originally called All hallows evening falls on October 31, Halloween is traditionally celebrated the day before All Saints Day which the Christian follow on November 1st
So, the big question; what is Halloween and where did it originate from?
The festival dates back to European traditions. Halloween comes from the ancient Gaelic festival, Samhain. Samhain, meaning the day celebrated at the end of the harvest season. Thus meaning ‘summers end’. The evidence is in the name, Halloween itself is the Scottish term for all hallows eve.
Back then the Gaels believed that the wall between the spiritual realm and our world was very thin.
Thus, in order for them to protect their harvest, the Gaels would light a bonfire to scare off evil spirits. The bonfire would also attract the many insects that roam freely and destroy the crops. This attraction of insect’s calls upon the bats which help the Gaels protect their crops by consuming the insects.
Trick or treating as well as dressing up originated in the 16th century in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Many people would sing a song or recite a poem in exchange for a piece of cake called soulmass cake (souls’ cake). And they would dress up and impersonate the souls of the dead to protect themselves.
Halloween became commercialised due to the influence of pop culture. Now Halloween is celebrated by children and adults around the globe, either by carving pumpkins, going for parties or trick or treating.
Trick or treating, the most favourite part of a child’s day on Halloween was a tradition which was coined by the Americans from the British tradition ‘souling’ or ‘guising’.
How can we celebrate Halloween? There are many ways on how to enjoy a very spooky night.
1. As this is the only day of the year where you can show your True Colours of spookiness. Many people would be dressing up and heading out for trick or treating or be going for a party.
2. If going out and getting candy is not your forte, you can simply sit back at home enjoy some popcorn and binge watch a couple of horror movies. Of course, watch the movies alone or with all the lights switched off, and remember to wear some extra underwear as you may get more than just scared.
Here’s a list of horror movies you can watch.
- Halloween (2018)
- Scream
- Night of the living dead
- The ring
- IT (2017)
- The orphan
Now that we know what Halloween is let me tell you a very scary story as many people like to be frightened as that is the tradition with many youngsters wanting to scare others. Before this eerie story.
The Licked Hand
A young girl named Lisa often had to spend time alone at home at night, as her parents worked late. They bought her a dog to keep her company and protect her.
One-night Lisa was awakened by a dripping sound. She got up and went to the kitchen to make sure the tap was off. As she was getting back into bed, she stuck her hand under the bed, and the dog licked it.
The dripping sound continued, so she went to the bathroom and made sure the tap was turned off. She went back to her bedroom and stuck her hand under the bed, and the dog licked it again.
But the dripping continued, so she went outside and turned off all the faucets out there. She came back to bed, stuck her hand under it, and the dog licked it again.
The dripping continued: drip, drip, drip. This time she listened and located the source of the dripping—it was coming from her closet! She opened the closet door, and there found her poor dog hanging upside down with its neck cut. Written on the inside of the closet door was, "Humans can lick, too!"
When you decide to go to bed don’t forget to check the closet and under your bed, and make sure your doors and windows are locked. Because someone’s out there watching and waiting for the right moment. Beware of the boogeyman.
Well you have a third option. If you’re just hanging out with friends, I suggest turning the lights off and telling them a scary story. Here’s one story you can tell.
Who’s hiding in the back seat!
One night a woman went out for drinks with her girlfriends. She left the bar fairly late at night and started driving home on the deserted highway. She noticed a pair of headlights in her rear-view mirror, approaching at a pace just slightly quicker than hers. As the car pulled up behind her she glanced and saw the turn signal on—the car was going to pass—when suddenly it swerved back behind her, pulled up dangerously close to her tailgate, and flashed its lights.
Now she was getting nervous. The lights dimmed for a moment and then brightened and the car behind her surged forward.
The frightened woman
struggled to keep her eyes on the road. Finally, she turned onto the exit. The car continued to follow, flashing its brights lights periodically.
Through every stoplight and turn, the car followed her until she pulled into her driveway. She figured her only hope was to make a mad dash into the house and call the police. As she jumped out of the car, so did the driver of the car behind her—and he screamed, "Lock the door and call the police! Call 911!"
When the police arrived, the horrible truth was finally revealed to the woman. The man in the car had been trying to save her. As he pulled up behind her and his headlights illuminated her car, he had been the silhouette of a man with a butcher knife rising up from the back seat.
