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| | In today's world, any dog actually can go out and about trick or treating in a mass produced costume. For less that $30, a pet pooch can be a cheerleader, pumpkin, devil, astronaut ... even a cat! On the other hand, a high end clothing company for dogs is adding a line of stylish costumes that are handmade. The price for these special costumes runs from $200 to $240.
Due to devilish attributes of Halloween, attempts were made to stop the celebration of Halloween in XIX century by transforming the holiday into public and particularly a family festival. City authorities were asked to organise entertainment programs, parties, festive gatherings and the parents were asked to less frighten their children. Therefore, many superstitions of Halloween have disappeared in history and ancient significance of holiday was fully forgotten. As a result, connection with the otherworld is irrevocably lost and gates from one world to another are closed forever.
Halloween is one of the cheerful holidays of modern America, which originated from Celtic legends about Druids. Celts celebrated four beginnings of the year: February 2 – Imbolc, April 30 – Beltain, July 31 – Lammas, October 31 – Samhain. Samhain marks the onset of winter. Celts believed that on the night of New Year, the division between the world of the living and the otherworld was blurred so spirits of the dead and inhabitants from the underworld were able to walk free on the earth. Hence, not to be become prey to dead, people quenched the hearths at homes and dressed-up as scary as possible hoping to blend with the otherworldly creatures and frighten the ghosts, which descended onto the Earth. Offerings were organized on the streets to satisfy the evil spirits and so that they do not break into the house. On this night, predictions were made, sacrificed animals and then each member took the uvula of sacred flame to the house to lit winter hearth. When Christianity displaced the Druids and became prevailing religion, in VII century Pope Boniface IV declared November 1 as All Saint’s Day (All Hallows) and glorify the scared and martyrs on this day. Night before the “All Saint’s Day” – Samhain night was called "All Hallow’s Eve” (All Hallow's Eve – night before the All Saint’s Day). Later on, it was reduced & thus appeared Halloween (Hallow E'en). In 1000 yr, Church declared November 2 as “ Day of all spirits” and one can remember only the dead but not the sacred ones on this day. Now all the three dates – Night before “All Saint’s Day” (October 31), “All Saint’s Day” (October 31), Sacred Day and Spirits Day is collectively named “Hallowmas” (Reference for detailed article about the history of Halloween). By the end of XIX century, the holiday was converted into a public festival due to mystic touch of Halloween. Now-a-days, public enjoys the festival how it wants: People dress-up in funny costumes, organize masquerades and demonstrations, throw raw eggs at each other on streets (earlier rotten eggs were thrown), visit bars, where competitions are organized for the “Tugged out costume” amongst the men. Americans organize marriages on this day. Especially marriages are in demand due to "Halloween” angle: When bridal couple crown Dracula, which rose from coffin, mounted directly in dark perfect god box. More than two million attend the Halloween parade in New York and the Halloween parade is usually live telecasted by major USA television channels. In Baltimore, “Pumpkin throw” competitions are organized for students- physicists for best invention, which does not break upon dropping from 10th floor.
This year we also participated in “Live holiday” and broke free in local club with live music and Ireland’s Guinness completely, by looking at public in costumes and trying ourselves in the roles of vampire and witch. These are our experiences in photographs. |
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