Happy Halloween 2020: History, significance and how to celebrate Halloween amid pandemic

People host Halloween parties, set bonfires, visit haunted attractions, listen to scary stories, watch horror films, trick-or-treating to celebrate the day.

Image courtesy: Pixaby

Halloween 2020: The spooky festival of  Halloween is celebrated across the globe on October 31, It is a day to remember the dead, and its id mostly celebrated in parts of the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Tokyo, the United States, and Canada. Halloween day is also known as All Saints’ Eve.

People host Halloween parties to celebrate the day in which people dress in their scariest costumes. Among the other activities, people visit haunted attractions, listen to scary stories, watch horror films, trick-or-treating and play pranks. In some countries, people attend church and light candles on the graves of the dead.

History: The history of Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years. As per Britannica, "The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide, which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day." In European countries and America, Halloween is an ancient Celtic festival celebrated on the last day of harvest. In some countries, Halloween marks the year ends and the New Year is believed to begin.

In Samhain, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to fend off ghosts. 

Significance: With the winter season approaching, people put lights and candles to bring warmth into the atmosphere. People set bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits and also to give acknowledgment to the good spirits. Halloween became one of the principal US holidays, particularly among children, however, in India, there is no public holiday for the event. Since, it falling along with Valmiki Jayanti and Sharad Purnima this year, some organisations can give a day off.

This year people will be celebrating Halloween amid the coronavirus pandemic therefore they are advised to limit the celebration to their homes and avoid mass gatherings to avoid the spread of virus. You can spend time with family watching horror film or do face time with friends and family wearing Halloween clothes.

Here's wishing you a Happy Halloween!