Every year Halloween becomes more popular in the Netherlands. We Dutch people simply love a fancy dress party! At the Toppers, King's Day, Carnival or Halloween we pull out our most beautiful costumes to make the party complete. In this article we will tell you about the best Halloween parties that are being held this weekend!
The difference between Halloween, All Souls' Day, All Saints' Day and St. Martin's Day
Many people do not know the difference between the above holidays or what each celebration entails. We are happy to explain it!
Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve, or the evening before All Saints' Day on October 31. For the ancient Celts, the calendar began on November 1 and October 31 was therefore New Year's Eve. The harvest had been brought in, which meant that there was a new year. The Celts believed that on Halloween the deceased of the previous year would return and they would try to take possession of a living body. When the Romans moved into the Celtic area, the traditions merged, whereby the celebration of the harvest and the honoring of the deceased remained intact.
In the United States, Halloween became big because groups of Irish and Scottish people emigrated to the country. During this time, the Jack O' Lantern, a hollowed-out pumpkin with a face and light inside, also came into being. Until the 1980s, Halloween was a children's party where children went door to door for candy. From the 1980s onwards, it also became more of a party for adults with theme parties, costumes and scary events.
This Christian holiday celebrated by Catholics and Anglicans takes place annually on November 1. On this day, the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith are commemorated. All Saints' Day is a day of destiny, where it is believed that the weather on this day predicts the weather for the coming period. All Saints' Day has not been a national holiday in the Netherlands since 1968, but it is still the case in Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria and Spain, among others.
Where martyrs and saints are remembered on All Saints' Day, the rest of the deceased are remembered on November 2. All Souls' Day is the day on which relatives pray for souls who are in purgatory and who are not yet in heaven. A day dedicated to commemoration of the dead, where the eternal resting place of the body is provided with flowers. It is a very old monastic tradition that dates back to 998!
Many people think that Halloween is the American version of St. Martin. On both holidays, children go out into the streets with a lantern for candy and we commemorate a deceased person, but that is where the comparisons end. It is the name day of Martin of Tours, also known as St. Martin. Historians believe that St. Martin started as a begging festival for the poor, which helped the poorest of society, especially during the harsh winter months. Other well-known begging festivals in the Netherlands are Epiphany, New Year or the celebration of Sinterklaas. St. Martin in the Netherlands is celebrated with a lantern parade, bonfires and St. Martin songs sung by children.
Are you going to celebrate Halloween this weekend and are you still looking for a Halloween costume ? Then take a look at our range of Halloween clothing. From fake blood , colored lenses to complete devil costumes . At e-Carnavalskleding you will find everything you are looking for for your perfect Halloween costume!
