Halloween: This is the origin of the scary festival

Children and adults celebrate the Halloween festival every year from October 31 to November 1. In this article we show you exactly what the origin of it is.

Halloween: Christian origin of the horror festival

Halloween is celebrated by many children and teenagers worldwide. They dress up and go out on the streets to scare others and collect sweets. But what is the real deal?

• The origin of the festival lies in the Christian faith. It is derived from the English holiday "All Hallows Evening", the eve of All Saints' Day on November 1st. The feast of the deceased saints is celebrated on November 1st and the festival of all deceased (all souls) on November 2nd.
• On October 31, 1517, the day before All Saints' Day, Martin Luther proposed his theses to the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg. This resulted in the secession of the Catholic Church.
• Irish emigrants brought the festival to the United States in the 19th century. In 1945 the festival came to Germany.
• Furthermore, the custom of collecting sweet things and distributing treats (pranks) goes back to a Christian tradition from Ireland. At that time, on November 1, bread with currants was distributed to the poor and beggars.

Tradition of the origin of the Halloween festival

The story of Jack OLantern is one of the origins of the festival.

• According to tradition, Jack OLantern escaped from hell with a trick. However, he was denied access to heaven.
• Because of this, he lived on, locked between heaven and hell. In his hand he carries a candle in a hollowed-out turnip.
• This story is the origin of the custom of carving faces into pumpkins.