Halloween rituals. Fortune telling, rituals, magic for Halloween

Halloween - how to celebrate, how to dress, what to do? VIDEO. PHOTO

On the night of October 31 to November 1 - on the eve of All Saints' Day - Halloween is celebrated (Halloween - All Hallows" Eve or All Saints" Eve). This is a modern holiday, although its roots go back to the traditions of the ancient Celts of Ireland and Scotland. Its history begins in the territory of modern Great Britain.

How to celebrate Halloween?

Each holiday has its own symbol. For Halloween, such a symbol is pumpkin - Jack-o'-lantern. Halloween without a pumpkin is like New Year without a Christmas tree. Therefore, make sure that there is at least one pumpkin in the house, preferably two or three or more. It is believed that they attract evil spirits, but at the same time they will not allow them to stay with you for a long time - pumpkins will drive away all evil spirits immediately after Halloween.

Using your imagination, you need to make a lamp out of a pumpkin.

And all evil spirits will flock to the light of this lamp. But put candles inside the pumpkin so that they burn out until the morning - and all evil spirits will disappear as soon as the lamp goes out.

Note that the tradition of making jack-o-lanterns comes from the Celtic custom of creating lanterns to help souls find their way to purgatory. The first creation of jack-o'-lanterns in the United States was recorded in 1837.

Garden scarecrows are also suitable for the festive decoration of houses for Halloween - let the evil spirits take them for their own and come to your house so that they never appear in it over the next year.

On Halloween, you need to be sure to scare others and be sure to scare you too!

Fright is an important element of the holiday. It is believed that if you get a good scare on Halloween, then over the next year your life will be bright and joyful, giving no reason for fears and frights. So let the evil spirits be scary once a year!

There must be a feast with a pumpkin dish. But this dish is not simple, but prophetic! After all On Halloween, the evil spirit itself casts spells.

Therefore, you need to put various small objects in it (for example, in a pumpkin pie) (a ring, coins of different denominations, etc.). It’s good to write down on a piece of paper in advance what this or that object means/symbolizes. And when someone finds him, tell him that he benefited himself for the next year with the help of evil spirits.

Try to summon Bloody Mary this evening. This is especially suitable for unmarried girls - will she predict for them whether to expect a groom?

In America, this fortune-telling is carried out like this: they climb a dark staircase backwards, sit down with a burning candle in front of a mirror. And the face of the future husband should appear in the mirror. If it doesn’t appear, it means there won’t be a groom next year. The worst thing is that if a skull or bones appears, it means celibacy for life. So, girls, think carefully - do you want to know this truth? Maybe sometimes it's better to remain ignorant and refrain from guessing.

How to dress for Halloween?

Since this is a holiday of evil spirits, the costumes must be appropriate.

Popular Halloween costumes include classic horror movie character costumes such as the Mummies and Frankenstein's monster.

Vampires, zombies, cripples, robbers, pirates - all this is suitable for Halloween. The main themes of Halloween are death, evil, the occult and monsters.

Traditional Halloween clothing colors are black (evil), red (blood) and orange (danger).

If you don’t have a suit, throw on some old torn clothes. Depict a victim of an attack or a dead person whose clothes have decayed from lying in the grave for a long time.

An important part of the holiday decoration is makeup. In fact, it can become the main element of your outfit - if it turns out very scary.

In addition, in the absence of a suitable suit, makeup can be made the most eye-catching part of the decoration.

If you yourself can’t decide how to paint yourself as evil, see the instructions below.

Zombie Makeup for Halloween

Black Angel Makeup for Halloween

In fact, it all depends on your imagination - be creative and paint it so that it is scary and at the same time interesting. Use not only cosmetics, but also other materials at hand - toothpaste, ketchup or, say, pieces of rubber, which you glue on the face and other parts of the body, depicting torn pieces of skin.

What music to listen to on Halloween?

The Halloween anthem is Monster Mash(“Monstrous Mess”), which must be present in the musical program of the holiday.

Halloween without Monster Mash is like New Year without “A Christmas tree was born in the forest.”

The music should be harder and louder. Therefore, the compositions of rock bands working in the style of heavy metal are most suitable for Halloween.

The following composition is suitable for children for Halloween:

On Halloween it is customary to beg for sweets, fruits and even money.

This is done approximately according to the principle of “trick or treat?”. Only on Halloween it sounds like this: “candy/money - or a terrible joke?”

If they don’t give anything, then it’s customary to scare them or do some minor mischief (for example, write chalk on the doors, pour ketchup on the windows). If the demand is satisfied, they thank you in return by singing, dancing, or telling a scary but interesting story.

On Halloween, be sure to tell your children some very scary fairy tale or story.

And with the whole family or a group of friends, spend the evening after midnight ritual to calm the souls of the dead- walk the dark streets at night with Jack-O-Lanterns or even torches. If possible, set off fireworks.

Even better, launch a paper lantern (also called “Chinese”) in the shape of a pumpkin. Let him fly high, high into the sky, where the souls of the dead rest, and plead with them for you so that they don’t plot against you.

Nowadays everyone knows that Halloween is celebrated on the last day of October. But not every person can explain what it means, what it is connected with, and what it is supposed to do. At best, they will talk about the pumpkin that is “advertised” in connection with this date. Nevertheless, Halloween rituals are a serious matter, filled with deep meaning. On this day you can not only play pranks, but also solve many problems that have accumulated over the years, if you understand how. Let's figure it out.

Origins and essence of the holiday

This tradition has Celtic roots. They also came up with many Halloween rituals. Many centuries ago, these ancient people believed that at the end of October one year ends and a new one begins. At this moment, all kinds of spirits come to earth, most of which were hostile to people. By the way, this is where the Halloween horror stories come from. This is a kind of reminder to those living today that there are many threats around, including from the afterlife. The holiday is pagan. But, in fact, it was so popular that after accepting Christianity it was difficult to get rid of it. It is not so easy for people to give up their traditions. Roman clergy had to move the Christian holiday to the first of November (from the thirteenth of May) in order to “legitimize” public festivities. In such a simple move, Christianity approached the people who sacredly honored their centuries-old traditions.

Ancient traditions and horror stories

In the imagination of the ancient Celts, on the night of November 1st, all sorts of unknown monsters - people from another world - roamed the earth. Their character and disposition were unkind. People shouldn't have met them. But a way out can be found in any situation.

In order not to be harmed by witches and ghouls, it was necessary to “disguise”. To do this, they dressed themselves in skins. It was believed that evil spirits would accept the mummer as one of their own and would not touch him. This is where the Halloween horror stories come from. On this evening, in order to scare people, it is customary to dress up as a devil or other evil spirits and wander the streets. Of course, it is better not to threaten an unprepared public. You never know who you'll run into. But in the company of like-minded people you can have fun. Halloween Day is useful precisely because it allows us to work together to free ourselves from “phobias,” which is quite important for children

Protection from evil spirits

Since the world (in the ancient view) was filled with dark entities, it was necessary to fence off your homes from them. Nowadays people do not particularly believe that the devil will come to them. Nevertheless, the amulets do not lose their popularity. On Halloween, fire is considered the best defense.

This tradition is filled with deep meaning. The fact is that fire symbolized life among our ancestors, and darkness symbolized death. They burned huge fires near their settlements to ward off evil. Nowadays it is customary to light candles in windows to prevent witches or other entities from entering through them. With funny lights, you see, it’s not so scary. Halloween is a time when it is advisable not only to play pranks, but also to reflect on the essence of life. And it is passed on to us through legends and traditions. For example, do you know why masks are usually made from pumpkin? And this is not just a tradition. This is a symbol of the ancient Celts' understanding of life.

Pumpkin for Halloween

Several legends about this symbol have reached us. On the one hand, it is believed that this is a tribute to King Bran, who sacrificed himself for the well-being of the people. Therefore, Halloween rituals are associated with pumpkins. It looks like a skull. That is, in itself (with cut out faces) symbolizes death. But the candle placed in it is life. It turns out that people are saying in this way that the ancient king will not die in their hearts. But there is another legend. They say that Jack had such a lamp, who managed to deceive the devil himself. As a result, he did not go to hell. But he was not accepted in heaven either. Here poor Jack wanders the earth with his lamp and can teach everyone his cunning. The pumpkin, it turns out, symbolizes a successful fight against the devil. In principle, we can agree with both legends. Either way, pumpkin has a very uplifting meaning. This is a wonderful amulet. And it’s very interesting to do it.

More about pumpkin

Not everyone will make special preparations for this holiday. But there are people who want to arrange everything according to the rules. If you're wondering what to do for Halloween, start with a pumpkin. This amulet should be in any home. Buy it, carefully cut off the top. Scoop out the seeds and the rest of the “guts” to create a hollow fruit. Draw faces on it on four sides. Then cut out the eye sockets, mouths and so on. It all depends on skill and imagination. And when it gets dark, place a lit candle inside. Now you can be sure that dark forces will bypass your home. If you still want to know what to do for Halloween, then remember the holiday “status” of this day.

Yes, you need to invite guests and have fun! Dark forces do not like good moods; they run away from laughing people to those who are sad and sulky.

What is served at the holiday table?

Halloween rituals are not just about amulets and bonfires. The Celts paid a lot of attention to treats. So, it was necessary to serve a pie at the table. It was prepared using pumpkin and apples. Drinks had to be dark. In general, this autumn holiday was celebrated richly. After the summer labors, when the “bins” were bursting with harvest, no one was allowed to be greedy. It was necessary to drag everything onto the table. Pies, meat, milk and so on. We also made sure to use nuts. Nowadays it is customary to prepare special cookies or other sweet dishes with them. During the merry feast, people forgot about fear, and this is how they spent Halloween. they also allowed, even suggested, fortune-telling and other magical “procedures” to be carried out on this day.

How to look into the future

The girls tried with fear and hope to find out what their married life would be like. For example, it was customary to wash your clothes (by hand) in the evening. They wrung it out thoroughly and hung it in the yard. And when they went to bed, they invited the betrothed to come and lift up his shirt. Then the main thing was to remember the dream. It was believed to contain important information about the future. One dreamed of the guy himself. To others - his features, financial situation and more. Sometimes it was possible to see where the girl should live (in which village or house). Nowadays, you can also perform such a ritual. Keep in mind that if you see fire or rain in your dream, then marry a reveler. Don't expect loyalty from this. But jewelry or clean water is a wonderful sign. You will be happy and loved. It's also good to see the window. Know that fate will soon turn in the most wonderful direction.

Fortune telling by wish

There is also a very simple, but quite reliable way to find out whether your plans will come true. To do this you need a sharp knife and a beautiful apple. It is important that it grows in your area. Otherwise nothing will work. Don't expect the truth from overseas fruits. You need to make a wish when it gets dark. Please note that this evening you are addressing otherworldly entities. You need to ask them. Now cut the fruit into two equal halves. Consider what happened.

It is believed that if you manage not to touch a single grain, then your plan will soon come true. One is damaged - there will be delays. And if a few grains fall under the knife, then give up hope. Nothing will work out for you. This is the kind of conversation you can have with spirits on Halloween.

Funny ritual

It was a tradition to tell fortunes about the bride for young men. It was believed that in order for a girl to have healthy offspring, she must be “in the body.” And in our opinion - thick. The young man was instructed to go into a dark barn and, without looking closely, get a head of cabbage. They took it by the stalk, and then looked at it all together. The larger the head of cabbage, the happier the fortuneteller’s soul became. You know, the bride will be fat, healthy, fertile! Now they don't think so. Although it is interesting to hold such a “competition” in the company of unmarried young men. How will they react to the prospect of having the fattest wife? But seriously, on this night it is advisable to remember your dreams, pay attention to the Unmanifested World, which itself may try to convey important information to you. It is necessary not to hide from it, but to try to understand. After all, whether you believe or not that the boundaries between worlds are being erased does not matter. Our ancestors were sure of this, and information, as we know, does not perish along with the “carriers”. She lives her energetic life, manifesting herself in incredible events and turns in our lives. This means that it makes sense to listen and understand what exactly they will tell you this time. You can receive such a message even against your own will.

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“The First Fire Festival. This is a kind of New Year, the main holiday in the entire Wheel of the Year.
Samhain symbolizes the triumph of eternal Life, Death and Rebirth
universe and marks the death of Summer, the Coming of Winter"

“The night of the first of November, the night when the Lord of Winter, the Lord of Death, takes the reins of power in the sublunary world. On this night, the souls of the dead are allowed to visit the living for the last time for a year. On this night, dark forces play around people. Many people are just having fun, pushing away fear and darkness. Since ancient times, it has been the custom of people to dress up on this night so that the souls of their enemies do not recognize and cause harm. To scare away dark forces, scary masks are made from sunny orange pumpkins, with a candle lit inside them.”

“Bring to your memory those who have already died. They too lived their lives and gave their fruits to the world, like God. It doesn't matter whether they were evil or kind, generous or stingy, strong or weak. It doesn’t matter what they were like or how they lived - they helped shape and create the world in which we now live. The history of the World comes to us along with the souls of the dead. This is a time for cleansing, reflection, understanding and, perhaps, moving to a new level.”

Transforming Samhain into Halloween

They tried to replace the ancient holiday Samhain with All Saints' Day, but as a result it was reborn as Halloween (and the name "All Hallows" Even" was reduced to "Halloween"). No Christian traditions were able to supplant this pagan rite, because people simply needed a reminder (remember that we are talking about the Middle Ages) about the onset of the “dark part of the year”, about the coming winter, which were traditionally accompanied by wise and cautionary stories about their ancestors.

On the other hand, the perception of this day as a dark pagan holiday associated with mortals and evil spirits is due to the descriptions of the holiday by Christian monks (back in the 12th century). And no matter how paradoxical it may be, it was the church that made a “demonic Sabbath” out of the festival of fertility and remembrance of ancestors. Orthodox Christians still show a complete misunderstanding of the comic holiday, in view of the same deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, chasing with the police after people having fun.

Unlike the Orthodox, the Anglican, Catholic and Protestant churches today treat this holiday with condescension and even support it. Father Gabriel Amorth, a Vatican exorcist, believes that “if American and English children dress up as witches for one night a year, then it’s not a problem. There's nothing wrong if it's just a joke."

Halloween Looks

Halloween originally originated in Britain, but was transferred to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays, with some distortions, this tradition has reached other countries. The holiday reached Russian-speaking society a little less than completely unrecognizable. "Fright Fest" has degenerated into parties in sexy outfits. So in Russia this holiday can be quite accurately described by the phrase: I wanted to dress up as a witch (Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood), but as always I ended up as a prostitute.

Perhaps because of this misunderstanding of the essence of the holiday, the makias used in English-speaking countries seem so frightening to us. But let's look at everything with examples.

Halloween movie characters

In modern society, one of the most popular themes for Halloween costumes are various movie characters.

Halloween doll makeup

Halloween images of evil spirits: vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches

Sugar Skull makeup for Halloween

History of Halloween

Initially, the holiday went like this. Druids, ancient Celtic priests, climbed into the oak grove on the highest hill of the settlement and lit a huge fire. It was believed that by doing this they helped the divine monarch not to give up the throne to his dark brother much longer. And the flame of fire symbolized the hope that even among darkness there is always a place for a ray of light and goodness. As for sacrifices, it should be noted that cruelty was not inherent in the first Celtic customs. The Druids sacrificed exclusively grains, fruits and vegetables, thereby hoping that Samhain would have mercy on them and give them a rich harvest.

In addition, the holiday was the best time for all kinds of predictions. What the druid said on this sacred night certainly came true. Young girls always began to tell fortunes at midnight. Usually they sat in front of a mirror with an apple in their hand. The worst omen was a candlestick that suddenly fell.

Later, the Celtic culture borrowed a number of barbaric traditions from the bloodthirsty neighbors of the Scandinavians. So the dual deity was replaced by many bloodthirsty pagan gods, and the ritual of sacrifice began to include animals and even people. Young virgins began to be brought as tribute to the dark forces, and only with their consent. The girl was dismembered and hung on the branches of sacred trees. Such a death was considered the most honorable, and there were always those willing to perform the feat.

Around this time, Celtic myths, which until then had been exclusively good, began to be inhabited by many otherworldly evil creatures: elves, ghosts, monsters, witches and wolfhounds. This is where the tradition of dressing up in costumes during a ritual action arose in order to appease these evil spirits hostile to humans.

At the beginning of our era, when the Romans occupied most of the Celtic lands, the authentic cult mixed with the Christian customs of celebrating All Saints' Day and a holiday emerged that we love and respect in the West - All Hallows Even, Hallowe"en or simply Halloween (Halloween). America became an ardent fan of the celebration when, in the 19th century, the country was flooded with emigrants from Ireland, who brought with them the Druid feast of evil spirits.

Today, a number of traditions remain from the pagan ritual, such as: original costumes, masquerades, pumpkin decorations and general fun. It is the pumpkin that symbolizes all the main foundations of Halloween - the end of the annual harvest, the evil spirit and at the same time - fire, which evil spirits are afraid of. One Irish legend tells the story of how one day the devil himself descended to Earth to take the soul of a thief named Jack to the dark kingdom. The thieving brave man managed to deceive the devil, and he tried to get into heaven, where he was not allowed. So Jack's soul was left at a crossroads. The devil decided to laugh at him and threw a hellish ember. A smart thief made a lantern out of it and a small pumpkin. Since then, he has been nicknamed Jack the Lantern - a man whose soul is in eternal wandering on earth and hopes to find a way to either hell or heaven.

Of course, the legend is a fiction, but, like all such phenomena, it is based on real facts. Gases from rotting plants in swamps actually sometimes emit a strange, faded light. Before science explained this fact, naive people believed that it was the souls of sinners trying to find their eternal refuge, like Jack-O-Lantern.

But fashion and ghosts were invented in the USA. Tomboys are dressed in costumes and sent to neighboring houses to collect candy, sweets and symbolic cookies with words "Treat or trick!" (Treat or you'll be in trouble!). A sort of autumn carol. Moreover, children's hiking routes take weeks, rather than days, to prepare. The bustle and preparation for Halloween in every town in America begins in early October.

Creepy true Halloween stories

It is believed that the ominous spirit of the ancient holiday is still in the air on this night. This is proven by a number of terrible crimes around the world, committed precisely on the eve of Halloween, when general fun and celebration helps hide real evil in the crowd:

1. Death of Timati O'Bryan

2. The Crime of Peter Brownstein

3. Robbery in Mexico

4. Bad joke

5. The Devon Griffin Tragedy

Every year, the police warn American dads and moms that Halloween nights carry many dangers, but it's still better to stay home. In our country, of course, the holiday does not yet carry much risk, but be careful, in case Celtic spirits decide to visit your city this year.