Show Halloween an excuse for murder Michelle Campbell Staff Staf Writer IN TN N the ancient times of the fifth century BC B.C. Ireland had many different reasons for celebrating Halloween alloween Better known as II All Hallows Eve Halloween was actually a festival for real witches goblins ghosts and The Celts who originated this ghoulish holiday used to dress up as demons hobgoblins hobgoblins hobgoblins hob hob- goblins and witches in order to frighten all of the-newly the spirits arrived-spirits away They believed that not only human but also animal souls who had passed away that year were coming to choose the body of the persons or animals they would inhabit and possess for the next year At that time October 31 was the official end of sum sum- m mer r. r After dressing in the ghoulish costumes the Irish people would parade first inside inside inside in- in side then outside the firehouse making as much noise and creating as much destruction as possible After the parade of masks and black attire the people of the village would judge who among them was supposedly possessed That unlucky person was then tossed into a burning fire and sacrificed as asa asa asa a protection from all evil spirits who were lurking In AD A.D. the Romans adopted All Hallows Eve but outlawed human sacrifice They substituted throwing innocent innocent innocent in in- bystanders into the fires with burning statues that had once been buried and were said to have mystical cal power In the ninth century trick or treating was then known as II sou ling On All So Souls Soul's Is I's Day Christians would wander from village to village begging for square biscuits called soul cakes The beggars beggars beggars beg beg- gars would swear to pray for forthe forthe forthe the dead relatives of the food donors and nd the number of prayers offered was proportional proportional proportional to the number of biscuits biscuits biscuits bis bis- bis- bis received This said the Christians would assure that all spirited evil-spirited relatives would stay away the whole year The soul cakes were slowly substituted for candy the demonic clothes to costumes costumes costumes cos cos- the loud clamor for l laughter and the adults to children as All Hallows Eve transformed into Halloween L I Iy J yI y I r f fik r t. t m t w r I I v ti i. i ic-I ic x i v iq t iti i i f w J I i r ii t fw w 1 f 4 v i 1 Nr w T. T ie f I i I 4 r eg v AS A ae y pu 3 S' S s i 9 n |