西方的節日

Happy Halloween! 萬圣節
Halloween conjures up images of happy children going door to door trick or treating, bobbing for apples and glowing jack-o-lanterns. Through the centuries this has been the modern day scene for October 31st, Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve.

All Hallows Eve, also known as Samhain, was originally observed by the ancient Celts as the day to celebrate the onset of Fall and the beginning of their New Year. It was also a festival of the dead, a time to remember those who had passed and a time when witches, goblins and demons could walk the earth.

關于南瓜燈
Lanterns made out of gourds were left along paths to guide the way home for ancestors while others were carved with scary faces and carried or placed on porches to ward off the demons and witches. These lantern gourds are now the fancy and fun carved jack-o-lanterns we see today.

舊時的慶祝方法
Celebrations of ancient rituals remain, but in somewhat different forms. Children used to go door to door begging for items to burn with the witches. Today they go door to door trick or treating for candy. The playing of tricks on unfortunate victims also lends All Hallows Eve to be known as Mischief Night. In ancient days, children dressed as goblins and ghosts would play tricks and cause trouble, but who is to say it wasn't the real ghosts and goblins being mischievous.

孩子們的活動
At Halloween parties, children bob for apples and girls comb their hair in front of a mirror to glimpse their future husbands. Many of the fun games come from ancient rituals that were based in very basic spells and magic and practiced on All Hallows Eve when magical powers were said to be at their strongest.

現代的慶祝方法
Today, celebrations of Halloween remain popular. Children still go trick or treating. Jack-o-lanterns glow on porches and bobbing for apples and other games still entertain at parties. In some schools and communities they do not recognize the celebration of Halloween proper due to the connection with Paganism. Instead, they have a Fall Harvest, recognizing the coming of winter.