Here’s what you need to know about Halloween

1. Why do we celebrate Halloween?

Halloween has its origins in the Christian festival of “All Saints’ Day”. But the Christians were not the first: the Celts celebrated the 11th full moon festival “Samhain” around October 31. For success the following year, the druids burned humans. Preferably a man, a woman, a child and a couple of any kind. Finally, in the Caribbean, the festival mixed with African voodoo rituals is celebrated as the “Día de los Muertos”, the day of the dead.

2. What does the word mean?

The word “Halloween” comes from the words “All Hallows’ Eve”, which is the eve of All Saints’ Day. In slurp Irish dialects, this became “Hallowe’eve” and later Halloween.

3. Dress for beginners

Traditional and always “fearful”: the skeleton and the ghost of the sheet. Some of the most popular disguises are witches and zombie outfits. But cowboy or Superman costumes are no longer welcome. Also, the range of disguises expands with every horror movie released. Especially in the last few years in the Hollywood Halloween trend: stars who dress like other stars.

4. Trick or treat special

The tradition of demanding “sugar” or threatening “sour” (cheating) arose in America in the 1930s. Children go door-to-door teaching neighbors about reptiles. If the host doesn’t bring the sweets he wants, the mailbox might magically be filled with shaving cream.

5. Movie Halloween

The hit horror movie series about psychotic serial killer Michael Myers returns to John Carpenter’s “Halloween – The Night of Horrors” (1978). Former babysitter Laurie Strode meets serial killer Michael Myers again after 40 years. (in theaters from October 25)

6. The thing about lanterns

Just as the skull is attached to the skeleton, the pumpkin belongs to Halloween. Jack O’Lanterns, as they are known in the USA, are hollow pumpkins with terribly carved faces and are lit by candlelight from the inside. Does this sound familiar? The carved Räben and Räbeliechtli parade that children carry through the streets can be traced back to the same tradition.

7. What do pumpkins have to do with Halloween?

The candle-lit pumpkins inside light up the night with spooky faces on Halloween. This tradition comes from a legend that was transferred to the United States by Irish immigrants. According to the story, Irish blacksmith Jack Oldfield tricked the devil into taking him. After his death, he was prevented from entering heaven, he could not go to hell because the devil promised him that he would not take him.

So the devil sent Jack back to where he came from. The road was cold and windy, so Jack took a glowing ember from hellfire. He placed it in a hollowed-out turnip that he had taken with him as provisions. Torn between heaven and hell, Jack’s cursed soul began to wander in the dark from now on. This is how the tradition of finally hollowing out the Räben and lighting them up with candles arose. This is where our Räbeliechtli parade probably comes from. The fact that they eventually become pumpkins is probably due to the season, because pumpkins herald autumn, and larger specimens are easier to carve and even scarier.