Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It's one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating. Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs. As the Christian debate goes on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always viewed as participating in an evil holiday. Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to pagan rituals or the occult.
万圣节是当今人们仍在庆祝的最古老的节日之一，它也是最受欢迎的节日之一，仅次于圣诞节。虽然数百万的人在欢庆万圣节的时候并不了解它的起源与传说，但是万圣节的历史与真相让这个节日更加动人心魄。对于一些人来说，万圣节意味着搞怪作乐、“不给糖就捣蛋”和主题派对。另一些人认为万圣节象征着迷信、鬼魂、精灵和恶魔，而这些都是人们避之不及的东西。基督徒对万圣节存有争议，但是对于人们来说，万圣节和邪恶的节日并没有什么关系。人们庆祝万圣节的时候并不会想到异教仪式或神秘的东西。
1 Halloween History 万圣节的历史
Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago. All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.
10月31日是万圣节，这是凯尔特历的最后一天。最初，万圣节是一个异教徒的节日，祭奠死去的人。万圣节起源于2000多年以前，现在指万圣夜。万圣夜是诸圣节的前一个晚上，以前基督徒会在诸圣节让异教徒改信基督教，而诸圣节是在11月1日，这一天基督徒会在天主教堂向圣人们敬礼。
2 Origin of Halloween 万圣节的起源
While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Halloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same. Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead. Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition. The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.
虽然关于万圣节起源和旧俗的版本层出不穷，但有一些还是互相吻合的。尽管不同文化背景的人对万圣节的看法不一样，但是传统的万圣节惯例却是一致的。万圣节文化可以追溯到德鲁伊教。德鲁伊教是存在于爱尔兰、英国和北欧的一种文化。德鲁伊教起源于萨温节，而10月31日的萨温节也是一年一度用来祭奠亡灵的节日。萨温节象征着“夏末”或是十一月的开始。萨温节也是收获节，并标志着卡尔特一年的新旧更替，在这一天人们会点神圣的大篝火庆祝节日。这一天的许多庆祝方式都源于迷信。卡尔特人相信亡人的灵魂会在村庄里、大街上游荡。卡尔特人认为不是所有的亡灵都是友善的，所以会准备礼物和点心来安抚亡灵，保佑来年可以丰收。这个习俗现在演变成了“不给糖就捣乱”。
3Costumes 习俗
Halloween costumes originated from the Celts when they lit huge bonfires and celebrated Samhain by dressing up in elaborate animal skins and heads to disguise themselves as spirits and demons so that the real ones couldn't distinguish them as being human. Their ceremonies consisted of dancing, telling stories, and reading fortunes.
卡尔特人在点篝火庆祝萨温节时会穿精心缝制的兽皮，假装成鬼魂和恶魔，这样真正的鬼魂就认不出他们了，万圣节习俗就是这么来的。卡尔特人在这一天还会跳舞、讲故事并占卜未来。
Jack 'O Lanterns
杰克灯笼
The traditions of carving jack 'o lanterns originates with the Celts. A miserable man named Jack, tricked the devil. Unable to enter heaven or hell after his death, he was destined to roam the earth listlessly. Jack placed a piece of coal into a carved-out turnip and used it as a lantern to keep the evil spirits away. Today, pumpkins (which are easier to cut) are carved into jack-o-lanterns, lit and placed outside of doorways for the same purpose.
雕刻杰克灯笼这个传统也是起源于卡尔特习俗。杰克因为捉弄了恶魔，命运非常悲惨。他死后不能上天堂也不能下地狱，注定要在人间游荡。杰克把胡萝卜挖空，放了一块发光发热永不熄灭的木炭在里面，做成灯笼来驱赶恶魔。现在，人们用更好切的南瓜来做杰克灯笼，把灯笼点上，挂在门口，目的与杰克如出一辙。
Trick or Treating
不给糖就捣乱
The custom of trick or treating evolved in Ireland, centuries ago. In preparation for All Hollow's Eve, the the poor would call upon the rich folks and request money, gifts and food. The food was gathered for a huge feast and celebration.
不给糖就捣乱这个习俗源于几个世纪前的爱尔兰。那时候穷人会敲开富人家的门，讨要钱、礼物和食物，来准备圣徒日前夕的晚宴。穷人们把讨要来的食物汇集在一起，这样就可以庆祝这个盛大的节日了。
UNICEF联合国儿童基金会
A popular tradition in America, trick or treating for UNICEF began in 1950, when Philadelphia youngsters decorated milk cartons and collected money to help less fortunate children. UNICEF increases public awareness and raises funds to provide health care, nutrition, immunizations and clean water, around the world.
美国颇受欢迎的传统活动－联合国儿童基金会“万圣节筹款活动”始于1950年，当时费城的孩子们拿着装饰好的牛奶盒子，募集钱款来帮助生活在不幸当中的儿童。联合国儿童基金会致力于提高公众意识，筹钱给全世界儿童提供医疗保健、营养，免疫接种和清洁用水。
网友评论