Halloween has been celebrated in Britain for many centuries already. The full name of this holiday is: 'All Hallows Eve'. For the tribes of Celts, the 31st October was the end of the year. They celebrated it as Samhain (the name for the 'death of summer'). People gathered together, they would bring fruit and vegetable with them, sing and dance by the fire. They thanked gods for the harvest and asked for the good following one.
It is believed that during the night of Halloween, living people are able to communicate with the spirits of their dead relatives. They thought that the spirits traveled long distances during this night. Different witches and hobgoblins were very powerful. Children wanted to confuse those spirits, who came and they used to dress up in weird costumes. In Ireland, there started a tradition of making the lantern out of some vegetables. We also know about the 'jack-o-lanterns'- the special kind of poisonous mushroom, which glows in the dark. They were stuck in front of the door to frighten the dead. Today, people in different countries celebrate Halloween. However, only a few customs derive from the ancient tradition. Much of them are simply products of American pop-culture.
People in Poland celebrate the All Saints' Day, on 1st November. All families come to visit the graves of their relatives. They bring candles and flowers to the cemeteries. They gather to pray and to remind those, who died. It is rather a sad holiday.
In Britain, 1st November is the day, when people play with nuts and fruit to predict future. The most popular games are: Apple-bobbing and brushing one's hair at midnight looking in the mirror. They are supposed to show you, with whom are you going to spend your life.
