Fiestas

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Halloween
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Etymology
The word Halloween was first used in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows'-Even ('evening'), that is, the night before All Hallows' Day. [10] In other countries, during the ancient times, this is also known as the festival of thedead, which starts as early as the 29th of October,and ends on the 3rd of November. Hallow's Eve could also mean the Eve of Halloween and Halloween is the Eve of All Saints' Day. Although the phrase All Hallows' is found in Old English (ealra hālgena mæssedæg, mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even is itself not seen until 1556.[10]
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HistoryCeltic influences
Though the origin of the word Halloween is Christian, the holiday is commonly thought to have pagan roots.[11] Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in thefestival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked tothe Celtic festival of Samhain", which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end".[11]Samhain (pronounced sah-win or sow-in) was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic (Irish, Scottish and Manx)[12]calendar.[13][14] It was held on or about October 31 – November 1 and kindred festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for examplethe Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall) and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany)
Samhain ( /ˈsɑːwɪn/, /ˈsaʊ.ɪn/, or /ˈsaʊn/),[1]—sometimes Anglicized as Sawin, Sowin, or similar—is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. Most commonly it is held on 31 October–1 November, or halfway between the autumn equinox andthe winter solstice.
Christian influences
Halloween is also thought to have been influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows, Hallowmas or Hallowtide) on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2.[28]They were a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach Heaven. All Saints was introduced in the year 609,but was originally celebrated on May 13.[29] In 835, it was switched to November 1 (the same date as Samhain) at the behest of Pope Gregory IV.[29] Some have suggested this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it was a Germanic idea.[
Spread to North America
North American almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was celebratedthere.[38] The Puritans of New England, for example, maintained strong opposition to Halloween[38]and it was not until the mass Irish and Scottish immigration during the 19th century that it was brought to North America in earnest.[38] Confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-19th century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it wasbeing celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds.
Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween,[40][41] but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than aturnip.[40] Subsequently, the mass marketing of various size pumpkins in autumn, in both the corporate and local markets, has made pumpkins universally available for this purpose. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837[42] and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.[43]...