October 29, 2012 at 2:52 pm

Halloween Secrets

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**Secrets Revealed**

Trick or treating can be traced back to European “guising” traditions where children would travel from home to home, reciting songs, jokes or poems. They didn’t say “trick or treat” back then, it was “please help the guisers” — a reference to the groups who performed plays to ward off evil spirits during Samhain, the Celtic celebration we now know as Halloween.

The children were often given fruit, nuts, sweets or even money. Trick or treating started to take hold in North America during the middle of the 19th century, although it was put on hold for sugar rationing during World War II.

The Celts believed spirits of the dead would walk the earth on Halloween. Costumes were worn to help blend in with and hide from the real spirits who were thought to be walking among them.

The traditional colors of Halloween, Black and orange, have meaning too. Black is the typical color of death in many cultures and orange symbolizes strength in Celtic legend, which was important for weathering a harsh winter. They burned large bonfires, believing this would bring the heat of the sun back after winter. Animal bones were often thrown into the fires and some believe these “bone fires” spawned the term bonfire.

Chad Upton is the editor-in-chief of Broken Secrets and an official Yahoo Answers contributor.

Thanks for reading,

Sources: History.com, IrishCentral.com, Answers.com,

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Chad
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  1. Thank you very much for explaining this. :)

    Comment posted on October 29th, 2012 at 3:22 pm by Reid

  2. Didn’t know that, that’s pretty cool.

    Comment posted on October 29th, 2012 at 4:40 pm by Pollix

  3. I would think a simpler explanation of the etymology of bonfire would be either bon (French good) or bane fire, banishing the dark. Whilst each source is a possibility, the “o” in bone is a long vowel, but in bonfire it is a short “o”.

    Comment posted on October 29th, 2012 at 11:55 pm by Ian

  4. Wow! That was really informative! Thank you so much for explaining this! :)

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 7:31 am by Ronnie

  5. IM REALLY INTERESTING IN HOLLYWEEN SECRETS

    I HOPE I CAN CELEBRATE IT THIS YEAR IN BOULDER DOWNTOWN

    THANKS FOR YOUR EXPLAINING

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 8:11 am by RAZAG AND AHMED

  6. Could you please give me the link to the 2010 halloween pictures so that I can get some idea. Thanks

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 8:52 am by Jennifer Lotto

  7. that is really coll

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 10:08 am by teondra

  8. Oh I celebrate this form of Halloween my WHOLE life! That is why I ALWAYS wear a costume. You have to hide. :)

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 10:23 am by DemonnPrincess

  9. Never thought to even wonder where the colors came from! Very neat.

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 9:13 pm by kaseyshere101

  10. You do realize that Samhain is still a commonly celebrated holiday? Pagans and Wiccans. Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the US today…. SAMHAIN 2012

    Comment posted on October 30th, 2012 at 9:22 pm by Nora

  11. the celts were really dumb

    Comment posted on October 31st, 2012 at 9:51 am by lol

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