All about Halloween...

Halloween is one of the most awaited nights of the year, that occurs on October 31. It is originated from an ancient Celtic seasonal festival, known as Samhain, to mark the end of the harvest season and to remember the dead that is celebrated from the sunset of October 31 to sunset of November 1.

The name Halloween sometimes spelt as Hallowe'en is a short form of All Hallows' Even(ing), which means All Saints' Evening, as it is celebrated on the evening before All Saints' Day (falls on November 1), also known as All Hallows' Day. Saints have historically been known as hallows, derived from the Old English word hālig and related to the German word Heilig, that means holy.

Though it’s not an official holiday, it is observed in many countries around the globe, mainly in the West but it is also catching up in Asian countries, as it provides commercial opportunities. In the U.S, it is estimated to be the festival with the second-highest amount of people spending and celebrating after Christmas festival. In Mexico, it is related to the Mexican holiday “Day of the Dead.”

Halloween is followed by All Saints' Day on November 1 for which it is the vigil and All Souls' Day is observed on November 2. Together the three days of remembrance of the dead form the triduum, that is a religious observance which lasts for three days of Hallowtide

During this time as a part of the tradition, people pray and visit the graves of deceased relatives. The reason behind people using pumpkins and corn husks is to symbolize the season of fall. The colours orange, black and purple are treated as the traditional colours of the season.

Happy Halloween!