Spellbinding Places To Celebrate Halloween 2007
The season of cackling witches, flickering jack-a-lanterns, crackling fireworks, sugary treats and cheeky trickery is once again upon us. Traditionally a time of renewal and reflection, in recent years, Halloween has seen an explosion in popularity, especially amongst children. Here at Argus we’ve come up with a round up of most magical Halloween events on offer this October 31st.
Origins:
Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was the celebration of the pagan new year in Ireland, Northern France and the United Kingdom. Celts believed that on the eve of the new year, the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. To celebrate the event, Druids built huge bonfires, where people burned crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic gods. During the ceremony, the Celts wore costumes, usually consisting of animal heads and skins and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. By 800 AD, Christianity had spread to the Celtic lands and with it came a number of feast days. In 1000AD Samhain was replaced with three sacred days to honour saints and martyrs-The eve of All Saints, All Saints and All Souls Day. Together they were known as ‘Hallowmas.’ The festivities were celebrated similarly to Samhain, with bonfires, parades and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils..
As Europeans migrated to the United States, they gradually brought with them various Halloween traditions. Millions of Irish fled to the United States to escape the Potato Famine of the 1840s and helped to popularise the festival in the United States. Borrowing from Irish and English customs, Americans eventually began to dress up and go from door to door asking for food or money, a practice that became known as ‘trick or treating’. By 1900 Halloween parties for parents and children became the most common way to celebrate the day. Today Halloween is the second biggest holiday in the United States.
Disneyland Resort Paris
Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Disneyland Paris is promising a frightfully good show this Halloween. Between October 6th and November 4th 2007, the Disneyland Resort Park will be overrun with Disney Villains, Pink Witches, and Pumpkin Men in what can only be described as ‘merry mischief’..
- Ghoulish Goings-On Include:
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- Daily Halloween Show by Disney Villains at Sleeping Beauty Castle
- ‘Halloweeniversary’ cooking lesson with Goofy
- Soireé Halloween (October 31st)
- Fireworks display as part of the Soirée Halloween
- From 8.30pm-1am, the park’s attractions will remain open for a night of spooky spectacles hosted by Captain Jack Sparrow.
Disneyland Florida
Billed as ‘Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party’, from October 4th to November 2nd 2007, Disneyland Florida really gets into the spirit of Halloween with an extravaganza of parades, fireworks displays and Halloween costume parties.
- Halloween Party Highlights Include:
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- Trick-or-treating throughout the Magic Kingdom Park at various locations.
- A HappyHalloWishes fireworks spectacular (Disney Villains go trick-or-treating in the sky)
- Mickey’s ‘Boo-to-You’ Halloween parade
- Disney characters disguised in their favourite Halloween costumes.