Halloweeny?

What cha'all doing? Whos dressing up? whos drinking beer?

Whos doing something?

I'm dressing up, I'm drinking lots and down town is the place.

I heard you are dressing up as jesus?!

Well If I go out I will be Jesus. Ive got some new sandles you see

Do you think the god botherers will find that offensive by the way?

Do you really think that they will be out celebrating Halloween?!!?!? I don't think so!!!!!

Thats a bit wrong- im sure you enjoy christmas!

Im trying to wangle my way into a party. I need to do something as its the only uni costume ive ever bought then kept......

THE DRAGON WARRIOR

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA (in a spooky voice with owls and death in the background)

Whoever is around in Swindon is very welcome to come out! My friend and I are dressing up and it would be good if everyone did!

Jim - please explain what dressing up as jesus has to do with halloween!?!

I thought Haloween was the celebration of Jesus scaring people?

And when did he do this then Jimbo? And more importantly, what did he do?

I think it's the celebration of satan!

nah satan stays out of this one. hes on the bench for this game

What exactly is halloween for then?

I can't remember! To me it's just an excuse to dress up silly and get drunk......no wait, that's Saturday nights!

I thought it was when jesus scared people. So thats final.

Since the 800's November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints' Day. The Mass that was said on this day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as All Hakkiw e'en, or Halloween. Like some other American celebrations, its origins lie in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.

October 31 st was the eve of the Celtic new year. The Celts were the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh and Scottish people. On this day ghosts walked and mingled with the living, or so the Celts thought. The townspeople baked food all that day and when night fell they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls of the dead. Hoping that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the new year the people carried the food to the edge of town and left it for them.

Much later, when Christianity spread throughout Ireland and October 31 was no longer the last day of the year, Halloween became a celebration mostly for children. "Ghosts" went from door to door asking for treats, or else a trick would be played on the owners of the house. When millions of Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1840s the tradition came with them.

Symbols of Halloween

Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. Witches flying on broomsticks with black cats, ghosts, goblins and skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. They are popular trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and windows. Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night.

Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack- o'lanterns is a Halloween custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named Jack who was so stingy that he was not allowed into heaven when he died, because he was a miser. He couldn't enter hell either because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgement Day. The Irish people carved scary faces out of turnips, beets or potatoes representing "Jack of the Lantern," or Jack-o'lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o'-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that there are goodies waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"

Yeah right! Like any of that actually happened!