social+studies


 * [[image:http://www.thaliatook.com/pix/pomona.jpg width="118" height="176" align="right"]]Halloween **

Halloween in one of the strangest days of the year. The Romans worshiped various gods and on October 31, a special feast was held in honor of Pomona, who is the goddess of the fruit trees. Later, the Druids, old Celtic priests from Britan, made this an even more extensive celebration by also honoring Samhain, lord of the dead. **
 * What is Halloween //really// about? 

 **When is Halloween?**  What associates with Halloween? People believed that on the night before November 1 (October 31) Samhain called together wicked souls or spirits which had been forced to live in the bodies of animals during the year. Since they were afraid of these spirits, they chose October 31 as a day to sacrifice to their gods, hoping they would protect them. They really believed that on this day they were surrounded by strange spirits, ghosts, witches, fairies, and elves, who came out to hurt them. People also believed that cats were holy animals, they considered them to represent people who lived formerly, and as punishment for evil deeds they were reincarnated as a cat. All this explains why witches, ghosts, and cats are a part of Halloween today. **
 * Halloween was originated from the religious practices of the Romans. It was started on the 1st of November but then they decided to change it to the 31st of October so they would be honoring both Pomona and Samhain.

Trick-or-treating and the use of jack-o-lanterns started out from Ireland. Hundreds of years ago, Irish farmers would go around houses begging for food. They would promise good luck to those who gave them good, and made threats to those who refused to give. They simply told the people, "You treat me, or else I will trick you! ** Why do we use a pumpkin to show Halloween? **
 * Where did trick-or-treating start?
 * 
 * The //apparently// harmless lightened pumpkin face or "jack-o'-lantern" actually is an old Irish symbol of damned soul. A man named Jack was supposed to be able unable to enter heaven due to his miserliness, and unable to enter hell because he had played practice jokes on the devil. As a result, he was condemned to wander over the earth with his lantern until judgment day (i.e., the end of the world). The Irish were so afraid that they would receive an identical plight, that they began to hollow out pumpkins and place lighted candles inside to scare away evil spirits from their home.

Resources: http://www.holybible.com/resources/halloween.htm

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