A Late Halloween Trivia

I know this is kinda late for  Halloween, but hey! this is a trivia and I guess it could be given any day of the year 🙂

Okay, until a couple of years ago, trick or treating was not really popular here in the Philippines. But now, it is definitely one of the most anticipated holidays each year. During Halloween, activities such as trick or treating, costume parties and pranks are common. Kids love to dress up and go around their neighborhood to “do the trick”. Adults sometimes also dress up in adult halloween costumes to attend parties or accompany their kids while they roam around at night.

Traditionally, when you don’t give treats to children, you give them permission to play a prank on you. Some people also like to carve pumpkins which are called Jack-O’-Lanterns. The tradition of the Jack-O’-Lantern is derived from a folk lore about a thief named Jack, who trapped the devil, tricked it into paying his debts and then made to promise never to take his soul. The downside to this was, when he died, Jack was so sinful that his soul couldn’t get into heaven and the devil won’t take his soul because he promised not to. When he asked the devil what he should do and where he should go, the devil mocked him and gave him a burning ember which will never burn out and told him to let it guide him. He carved a turnip, which was his favorite food and put the ember inside to wander around aimlessly looking for a place where he belongs, in time he became known as the Jack of the Lantern or Jack-O’-Lantern.

Halloween is short for All Hallows’ Evening or All Hallows’ Eve, it is an annual holiday observed all over the world during October 31^st or the night before All Saints’ Day. It is originally a celebration to honor a good harvest and is said to be related to that of the Celtic festival Samhain, pronounced sow-an or sow-in, which means summer’s end in Old Irish. However, Halloween is also said to be derived from the Christian holy days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day which falls on November 1^st and 2^nd, respectively.

Ain’t it good to know the trivia? At least next year, you have some story to tell to your kids or friends 😉

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