Holidays
Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31.The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.
Ancient Origins of Halloween
Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000
years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and
northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.
By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of
the 400 years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin
were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in
late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the
dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and
trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, and the incorporation of this
celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of bobbing for apples
that is practiced today on Halloween.
Halloween Comes to America
A distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” which were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing.
Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the 19th century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.
History of Trick-or-Treating
Borrowing
from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house
to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s
“trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that on Halloween they could
divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with
yarn, apple parings or mirrors.
Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
History of Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621. The Pilgrims had recently arrived in America, and the Native Americans had helped them survive the difficult first winter. The two groups decided to celebrate their good fortune by holding a harvest feast.
History of Black Friday
The term “Black Friday” was first used in the 1960s to describe the day after Thanksgiving when retailers would offer deep discounts on products in an effort to get people to start their holiday shopping. The name is thought to come from the fact that so many people would shop on this day that it would cause traffic jams and even violence. In recent years, Black Friday has become an international phenomenon, with retailers in countries around the world offering discounts on the day after Thanksgiving.
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