All Hollows Eve

  “As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night, Let loose upon the Earth till it be light…
”~Nicholas Gordon. What is the holiday that is responsible for the biggest total sales of candy in October? One of the most celebrated holidays around the world? The most awaited and scariest day of the year? This famous holiday is today known as Halloween, formally known as “All Hallow’s Eve” and it is finally around the corner. Pope Boniface IV created this day in the 7^th century to celebrate all the saints that could not be celebrated individually, and it has been celebrated ever since. Halloween is a worldwide holiday that almost all countries part take in, though many have different customs and ways that they chose to celebrate this day. One of the main customs in America today is wearing costumes; this idea began hundreds of years ago with the Celts, people that lived in the European region during the Iron Age. During the Samhain Fire Festival, a festival that marked the beginning of a new season, it was custom for the Celts to take an ember from the ceremonial bonfire and light it in their family hearth, in order to protect themselves on their way home.  They dressed up in costumes to ward off evil spirits that were believed to hide in the darkness. This is where our perception of costumes was originated. But In the recent centuries costumes have been worn not only to keep away “evil spirits” but also to scare friends, and impress others with the skill and creativity. In the release of the Home Sewing Association’s “top ten” list of costumes in the year 2001, some costumes included: super heroes, witches, professional sports figures, and the wizards from the movie Harry Potter. Over the years these ideas have changed due to the influence of newly released movies, (Avatar, The Crazies, and Alice in wonderland), new reality shows, (Jersey shore), and celebrities, (Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson). When asked, the majority of the students at BHS said they were going as either a character from their favorite movie or simply just wearing a mask. One student even said he was going as a pumpkin. People all around the world wear costumes to celebrate this frightful night; it’s what makes this holiday fun and scary. So put on your mask, bring your pillowcase and roam the streets for some candy and most of all “eat, drink, and be scary”, ~Author unknown.