2016年万圣节是什么时候？2016万圣节是几月几日？万圣节的习俗有哪些呢？万圣节的习俗中英介绍(1)

2016年万圣节是什么时候?2016万圣节是几月几日?万圣节的习俗有哪些呢?万圣节的习俗中英介绍

ThecustomsofHalloween

HalloweenisanobservancecelebratedonthenightofOctober31，mostnotablybychildrendressingincostumesandgoingdoor- to- doorcollectingcandy.ItiscelebratedinmuchoftheWesternworld，thoughmostcommonintheUnitedStates，PuertoRico，RepublicofIreland，theUnitedKingdom，Canada，andwithincreasingpopularityinAustraliaandNewZealand.HalloweenoriginatedinIrelandasthepaganCelticharvestfestival，Samhain.Irish，Scotsandotherimmigrant**roughtolderversionsofthetraditiontoNorthAmericainthe19thcentury.MostotherWesterncountrieshaveembracedHalloweenasapartofAmericanpopcultureinthelate20thcentury.

ThetermHalloween，anditsolderspellingHallowe‘en，isshortenedfromAll- hallow-even，asitistheeveningbefore“AllHallowsDay” (alsoknownas“AllSaints’Day”)。 InIreland，thenamewasAllHallowsEveandthisnameisstillusedbysomeolderpeople.HalloweenwasalsosometimescalledAllSaints‘Eve.TheholidaywasadayofreligiousfestivitiesinvariousnorthernEuropeanpagantraditions，untilitwasappropriatedbyChristianmissionariesandgivenaChristianinterpretation.InMexicoNovember1stand2ndarecelebratedasthe“DiadeLosMuertos”DayoftheDead.HalloweenisalsocalledPookyNightinsomepartsofIreland，presumablynamedafterthepúca，amischievousspirit.InAustraliaitissometimesreferredtoas“mischiefnight”，bylocals.

Halloweenissometimesassociatedwiththeoccult.ManyEuropeanculturaltraditionsholdthatHalloweenisoneoftheliminaltimesoftheyearwhenthespiritualworldcanmakecontactwiththephysicalworldandwhenmagici**ostpotent(e.g.Catalanmythologyaboutwitches)。

Halloweenisanannualcelebration，butjustwhatisitactuallyacelebrationof?Andhowdidthispeculiarcustomoriginate?Isit，assomeclaim，akindofdemonworship?Orisitjustaharmlessvestigeofsomeancientpaganritual?

Theworditself，“Halloween，”actuallyhasit***iginsintheCatholicChurch.ItcomesfromacontractedcorruptionofAllHallowsEve.November1，“AllHollowsDay” (or“AllSaintsDay”)，isaCatholicdayofobservanceinhonorofsaints.But，inthe5thcenturyBC，inCelticIreland，summerofficiallyendedonOctober31.TheholidaywascalledSamhain(sow- en)，theCelticNewyear.

Onestorysaysthat，onthatday，thedisembodiedspiritsofallthosewhohaddiedthroughouttheprecedingyearwouldcomebackinsearchoflivingbodiestopossessforthenextyear.Itwa**elievedtobetheironlyhopefortheafterlife.TheCelt**elievedalllawsofspaceandtimeweresuspendedduringthistime，allowingthespiritworldtointerminglewiththeliving.

Naturally，thestill- livingdidnotwanttobepossessed.SoonthenightofOctober31，villagerswouldextinguishthefiresintheirhomes，tomakethemcoldandundesirable.Theywouldthendressupinallmannerofghoulishcostumesandnoisilyparadedaroundtheneighborhood，beingasdestructiveaspossibleinordertofrightenawayspiritslookingforbodiestopossess.

ProbablyabetterexplanationofwhytheCeltsextinguishedtheirfireswasnottodiscouragespiritpossession，butsothatalltheCeltictribescouldrelighttheirfiresfromacommonsource，theDruidicfirethatwaskeptburningintheMiddleofIreland，atUsinach.

SomeaccountstellofhowtheCeltswouldburnsomeoneatthestakewhowasthoughttohavealreadybeenpossessed，as***tofalessontothespirits.OtheraccountsofCeltichistorydebunkthesestoriesa**yth.TheRomansadoptedtheCelticpracticesastheirown.ButinthefirstcenturyAD，SamhainwasassimilatedintocelebrationsofsomeoftheotherRomantraditionsthattookplaceinOctober，suchastheirdaytohonorPomona，theRomangoddessoffruitandtrees.ThesymbolofPomonaistheapple，whichmightexplaintheoriginofourmoderntraditionofbobbingforapplesonHalloween.

Thethrustofthepracticesalsochangedovertimetobecomemoreritualized.A**eliefinspiritpossessionwaned，thepracticeofdressinguplikehobgoblins，ghosts，andwitchestookonamoreceremonialrole.ThecustomofHalloweenwa**roughttoAmericainthe1840’**yIrishimmigrantsfleeingtheircountry‘spotatofamine.Atthattime，thefavoritepranksinNewEnglandincludedtippingoverouthousesandunhingingfencegates.

Thecustomoftrick-or-treatingisthoughttohaveoriginatednotwiththeIrishCelts，butwithaninth-centuryEuropeancusto