Halloween

Everything has its history. Everything comes from somewhere and goes to some direction. It is very simple, logical, and natural. Each event is specific in some way. Each day has its right to exist in history. But the most interesting is that only people can make each day extraordinary, give them specific meaning, status and understanding. Depending on origin, culture, traditions each nation differs from the other. That makes people travel, take photos, make albums. List them thousand times to look past life through. I can hardly imagine that there is a person who does not have the photos of Halloween in his/her album. Some write “Halloween” on the top of the photo to indicate what day it was taken, some do it on the back of it, some do none of them because photos say everything and sometimes even more than words can express. And still it is amazing how these photos appeared in our albums?

This holiday dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in). Celts inhabitants of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France celebrated the new year on November 1. This day was associated with the end of summer and the beginning of winter, cold, dark, and in most cases identified with death. According to the beliefs Celts thought that the boundary between living and dead worlds were blurred this day. Presence of ghosts could help Druids, or Celtic priests predict the future. But the understanding of the holiday changed after Romans had conquered the large territory of Celts in A.D. 43. Romans ruled this territory for 400 years. During this period two Roman festivals were combined with Celtic. Festivals of Roman origin were Feralia and Pomona

Later in 800s after spreading Christianity among Celts, Pope Boniface IV declared 1 November All Saints’ Day. It is believed that designation of this day as All Saints’ Day served the purpose of changing the day of dead ghosts arrival day into saints’ day. The new celebration was called “All-Hallows”. As for the night before the celebration, it was called All-Hallows Eve, Halloween.

Halloween symbol is identified with the carved pumpkin with a lit candle inside. Story about Halloween is impossible to imagine without Jack-O'Lantern. The tradition of making jack o’lanterns counts centuries. It is originated from an Irish Myth about “Stingy Jack” who deceived the Devil. Invited him to have a drink but did not want to pay for it. Jack convinced him to turn into a coin. The Devil was deceived, Jack put the coin into his pocket next to a silver cross. The power of the cross prevented the Devil from turning into the original form. Jack made a kind of barter with the Devil and freed him for 1 year freedom. But that was not enough for Jack and the next time asked the Devil 10 years of life...

But Jack died soon. Why? As legend says God will not allow such man into the heaven too, neither the Devil opened the doors of hell, and since then he wanders with the burning coal trying to find the way.

Album waits for new photos, memories find their own places in our minds, Jack O’lantern still searches for the ways to release himself from uncertain freedom and masked faces are waiting for the 31 of October.