Witches, warlocks, ghosts and goblins. . .

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 22

Witches, warlocks, ghosts and goblins. . .

If someone knocks on your door next Sunday evening and shouts “Trick or treat " they will be celebrating Halloween. Halloween is the night for ghosts and goblins, black cats and pumpkins. It is widely celebrated in the United States by people, especially children, who dress up in disguise and go from house to house trick or treating. How did Halloween start? The day has its beginnings in ancient English history. The Celts celebrated the end of summer around the beginning of November.

Later the church recognised this festival and called it All Saints Day to commemorate all the saints. Pope Gregory declared that the day would be remembered every year on November 1. The church hoped the Celts would stop their pagan festival and celebrate the Christian event instead. All Saints Day was also called All Hallows or Hallowmas. The night before — Hallow Eve — was the time when goblins and ghosts and spirits of the dead came out. To ward them off the Celts lit

huge bonfires and these could been seen on the hillsides all over England. Today Hallow Eve or Halloween is a day for dressing up in the United States, but is not celebrated in England. On Halloween night witches, warlocks and all kinds of spirits wander the streets, visiting people they know for a trick or a treat. The treat is usually sweets. If they do not get a treat they will often play a trick on the houseowner. You can easily make a trick or treat disguise. You

can dress up as a witch in a long black hat with a broom, or a ghost in a white sheet — ask your mother before borrowing the sheet, though — or any other disguise you want. Paint your face using rnake-up so that no-one will recognise you. If you do plan to go trick or treat-ing it might be best to warn your neighbours first as they will not be expecting a visit from a witch or a goblin, no matter how friendly that witch or goblin might be. It might even be a good idea to take your mother or father along.