A unique holiday beloved by children and witches alike!

 

“Trick or Treat?”… If you hear a knock at your door after dark on October 31st, also known as “All Hollow’s Eve” or the “Eve of All Saints” don’t be surprised if you hear these words as you open the door. Neighborhoods in many western countries will be teeming with young children dressed up as witches, ghosts and zombies, all asking you to fill up their bags with Halloween treats.

 

Halloween is celebrated by most of the western world and is well known for its association with mysticism and the occult. Halloween is believed by many cultures to be the day when the veil between the spirit realm and the mundane realm becomes thinnest, making it easier for us to commune with those on the other side.

 

The best-known symbol for this spooky holiday is the Jack-o’-lantern of course! Halloween revelers prepare for the holiday by picking a pumpkin at the local pumpkin patch, which in North America is a fun filled family tradition. At home they hollow it out and carve a scary face in it, then place a burning tea light candle inside. This is a tradition that has its roots in an Irish myth. According to the tale, Jack was a lazy yet sly farmer who managed to trap the devil. He let the devil go, on the condition that the devil wouldn’t allow Jack’s soul to pass the threshold of Hell. So from that day forth, Jack has been wandering the world, using a candle in a pumpkin as a lantern to light his way, looking for a suitable place for his soul to rest. And that is how the Jack-o’-lantern got its name.