I have always asked myself this question a lot of times, that why do people dress up in fancy costumes during Halloween.  Like any other festival, the history of this festival is associated with traditions which can be traced back to the 16th century and have been passed from one generation to the other.  The normal human tendency is to follow the actions and traditions of our elders. So whatever our parents and grandparents did, we follow the same traditions.  The innocent activity of Trick or treat seems to be fun, but there are many other fantasies associated with evil spirits which demand sacrifice and are not at all funny.

Halloween is derived from the Irish word Hallow E’en and is the night before the All Saints Day which is observed on the first day of November.  The English meaning of Halloween is ‘sanctify’ and was celebrated to honor the souls of all Saints, whether known or unknown in heaven.  People made sacrifices and offered prayers to honor the dead.  It is believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the worlds of the dead and the living gets indistinct and that the ghosts of the dead return back to earth.  Crops were burnt, animals were sacrificed and people dressed in costumes which were made up of animal skin.  They also wore animal heads and skulls to protect themselves from the evil spirits.

Halloween was brought to America by the early Europeans, who crossed borders in search of a better living.  The cultures and traditions of these settlers were completely different from the Native American Indians and the mix of these different cultures gave rise to the current forms of traditions followed today.  The American version of this festival consists of wearing fancy costumes, throwing parties, dancing and singing, and the very popular activity of Trick or treat which was also adopted from the Irish and the English.  Children dress up in fancy costumes and go from one house to another asking for food or money.  They play a trick on the owners who do not give them anything.  Everything is done in good spirits.  The superstitions associated with this festival were lost due to the modern beliefs of today’s generation.  It is now seen more as a holiday rather than a ritual.  People try to look as unique as possible and hence dress up in all sort of weird and fancy costumes.

This new tradition has grown immensely over the past few decades and the business related to Halloween is now predicted to be more than $ 5 billion annually.  The idea of celebrating this festival is to bring the community together and have fun and enjoyment. The history of Halloween is as fascinating as its celebrations.  I have finally understood the rationale behind everyone dressing fancy costumes up in to celebrate Halloween on 31st October every year.

Now-a-days it has become quite easy to get the best available fancy costumes for Halloween via online shopping mode. It’s a pure time saver. Moreover you get a terrific collection to choose from.

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