Halloween An old pagan festivity…

Halloween: Origins Modern halloween, comes from the dark abyss of ancient past… From an old celtic festivity called by our ancient ancestors Samhain It celebrates the imminent end of summer and the arrival of the cold hand of winter… 'Winter always comes, unstoppable and relentless…' Eduardo Garay Arnaldos.

A Halloween game: Bobbing for apples. It is probably the most well known and favourite Halloween game of all. Floating apples in a large bucket filled with water. The target of this game is to pick up one of the apples and remove it from the water using only your mouth. Your hands must be kept behind your back.

Trick or treat: An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, bread cake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples... in preparation for the festival of St. Columbus Kill. Yet another custom was the begging for soul cakes, or offerings for one's self - particularly in exchange for promises of prosperity or protection against bad luck.

Ghost stories: During Halloween, it is common to cheer up with ghost stories that are meant to frighten and scare. As you can see... children have fun with their friends and family. Here is a passage of a well known American ghost story. Susan and Ned were driving through a wooded empty section of highway. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the sky went dark in the torrential downpour. Wed better stop. Said Susan. Ned nodded his head in agreement. When he stepped on the brake, the car started to slide on the slick pavement. They went off the road and slid to a halt at the bottom of an incline. Passage of 'The Black Axe Hollow':

Jack o' lantern! Some legends, become immortal. This is the case of Jack o' lantern. Since centuries, it's a constant source of inspiration for the Anglosaxon people, who represent it as a carved pumpkin. From artists to little kids. Indeed it's the Halloween symbol for excellence. Surprisingly enough, even Julia Roberts got lured into this fashion.

The All Saints Day: Spain also has its own festivity like Halloween, although this one is religious, not pagan. It's the All Saints Day. People go to graveyards and leave offerings to the dead, like flowers or candles. We often eat 'saint's bones' during this day as dessert.

CREDITS Amado Eduardo Mario Pacofonsi