Recursos Educativos en Inglés - Stories in English
Cuentos cortos en inglés
The Halloween costume, a thousand-year-old tradition
We all have in mind the famous scene from E.T. where the main character is hidden under a sheet for Halloween, in the middle of the whole little family, dressed up for the occasion. Since then, this celebration of Anglo-Saxon tradition has swept through our lands. But by the way, what is this celebration all about, and why do we have to dress up?
Basically, it is a Celtic festival to celebrate the living dead, on a date in October or November. Then, when the feast of All Saints' Day was fixed in 1048, the eve of the holy night ("all hallow's eve", which gave rise to Halloween), taking up this concept, was set for 30 October. Initially Irish, this festival soon became a great success in Anglo-Saxon countries, particularly the United States, before being celebrated in other countries, such as Spain.
So much for the origins. And the disguise in all this? If nowadays we don't believe so much in the existence of ghosts, the tradition has lasted, and also evolved a little: children dressed in their Halloween costumes (monsters, ghosts, witches, vampires...) ring the doors to ask for sweets. It is therefore above all an opportunity for our children to have fun, or even to scare themselves, with sweets that will make them happy! So, as every year, get ready to find some unexpected visitors at your door this Halloween.
