Halloween parties, dressing up and Trick or Treating is only a few of the many ways we celebrate Hallows Eve on 31st October although when it comes to seasonal celebrations Halloween in the UK is a ‘lesser’ celebrated occasion than celebrations which take place in the USA.
Halloween origins are thousands of years old and date back as far as the 2000 year old Celtic festival of Samhain where it is though it was first celebrated in the country’s; UK, Ireland and the northern regions of France. The original date Halloween was celebrated was 1st November and it was the day that marked the end of summer and the beginning of harvest.
During the transition night between summer and harvest the Celts believed that the boundaries blurred between the worlds of the dead and living and the evening of 31st October became the highly celebrated Samhain. On Samhain it was believed ghosts returned to the earthly plane and caused trouble amongst the living such as damaging crops.
In later years Halloween celebrations was marked by the Druids who built large sacred bonfires; people would gathered around the bonfire sacrifice animals in sacred sacrifices to Celtic deities.
In A.D. 43, the Romans conquered most of the original Celtic territory and over the 400 years that the land remained their habitat their 2 original festivals were combined with the Samhain Celtic festival.
Christianity spread to the ancient homelands of the Celts by 800 and the 7th Century saw Pope Boniface IV officially designate 1st November as ‘All Saints’ Day’ (or All-hallows) where people honoured saints and martyrs which changed the reference to the night before now ‘All-hallows eve.’
In the 18th Century as European immigrants began to travel further the Halloween Festival spread throughout the USA.
Halloween has always been an occasion filled with superstition, mystery and magic from friendly spirits (where treats are given on doorsteps) to today’s Halloween ghosts and parties.
Make Halloween a special day in your diary and come and enjoy the Halloween Monster Mingle party with Social Circle by booking here with a fully licensed and cheap bar, a ghostly disco, free Halloween punch (alcohol) and enjoy snacks and chocolates, karaoke, prize give-aways and lots of new friends in South Manchester.