Startled To Death, Halloween is Here

The darkness is going to fall,  the streets shall be filled ghastly figures, slithering and hunting about in search of their next victim. No, no, the world has not been taken over by zombies nor have the un-dead run amiss in the neighbourhood; this is actually an annual festival that has been celebrated for the past many centuries – Halloween

Although Halloween is considered to be a Christian festival, traces of it can be located here in our part of the world as well and ironically enough, it is mostly popular amongst adults. They peg it as a festival  to party and celebrate with all dressed showing the demon inside. Private costume parties where people can enter dressed in the wackiest or scariest attire they can think of are scattered throughout the city. Sadly, in Muslim countries the festival is not celebrated; however it is rapidly gaining momentum because of the expanding liberalism.

Halloween is typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain which means “summer’s end”. The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

Well, that's all for now Folks :)