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Halloween Costume Party Ideas: Customs around the World:
USA
Customs and superstitions gathered through the ages
go into our celebration of Halloween, or "Holy Eve”,
on October 31.The day is so named because it is the
eve of the Christian festival of All Saints, but
many of the beliefs and observances connected with
it arose long before the Christian Era ,in the
autumn festivals of pagan peoples.
In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to
mold Halloween into a holiday more about community
and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts,
pranks, and witchcraft. At the turn of the century,
Halloween parties for both children and adults
became the most common way to celebrate the day.
Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and
festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by
newspapers and community leaders to take anything
"frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween
celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween
lost much of its superstitious and religious
overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.
Halloween is still a favorite "special day" for
school celebrations, when people hold costume
parties, play old -fashioned games, and give clever
plays and pageants based on the ancient customs.
Frequently whole communities gather for a Halloween
festival, as did the villagers of earlier days. |
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