Halloween is still a lively celebration. Starting with the Samhain festival of the Ancient Celts, this festival became global thanks to Pope Gregory III, who changed the celebration of Samhain into a festival to honour saints. However, several traditions still exist today, one of which is the tradition of wearing ghost costumes.

According to Celtic superstition, the worlds of the living and the dead united at Samhain. Far from being scary, the Celts welcomed the arrival of fairies and spirits—known to them as Aos si—to Earth as "fortune tellers of the future." To avoid being disturbed, they wear costumes made of animal skins and heads and leave food as offerings at the door.

Halloween is an exciting festival. Many countries celebrate Halloween with typical Halloween traditions, such as the following:

This tradition originates from Ancient Rome, where they held an apple-eating festival in honour of the goddess of fertility and fruit, Pomona. Now, this tradition has shifted its meaning to become a place to find a soul mate. You can follow this tradition by biting into an apple with the name of the person you like written on it. It is believed that if you can eat it in one bite, it means you and he will be soul mates!

Similar to the tradition of eating apples, which was originally to honour the goddess Pomona, Snap Apple also holds an apple eating event. But here, people compete to eat apples hanging from strings. There are also those who stick apples on poles that contain burning candles. They believe that if they succeed in taking the first bite of the apple, they will immediately get married. Women would also throw away apple skins in the hope that the skins would form the initials of their soul mate's name. Another belief is that if you put an apple bite under your pillow, you will meet your soul mate in a dream. Do you want to try it?

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The phrase "trick and treat" on Halloween only became popular in the US in the 1950s, when the entertainment world became popular with asking for candy or being pranked as a trick or treat. Trick-or-treating is a game that is most popular with children. They will walk to each house in unique costumes while carrying baskets. After arriving in front of the house, they will knock on the door and shout, "Trick or treat!"

This tradition originates from mediaeval times in Great Britain and Ireland. As the name suggests, souling is the activity of going around collecting cakes with a cross motif called soul cake. This cake is also said to be an "offering" for the Aos so that they don't bother them. In the 13th century in Europe, soul cake was very popular at Halloween. In exchange for soul cake, they will also pray for the donors. This tradition then began to be used by beggars on All Souls' Day on November 2 to get soul cake. These beggars would declare that they were ready to pray for the soul of anyone who would give.

Who is Jack that inspired this Halloween pumpkin carving? It is said that, in ancient times, there was a man named Jack who liked to play pranks on everyone. Don't be half-hearted; even the devil doesn't escape his pranks! Because he was too nosy, it is said that Jack was ultimately rejected in heaven and hell. The devil taunted Jack by throwing a hot ember at him as a "path light." Jack then carved the tubers and placed the burning embers inside as a lantern.

This Celtic fairy tale later developed into a routine tradition every year. Initially, people used tubers such as beets, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. But after they found the most suitable thing to make the tube is pumpkin, they used the pumpkin as a Jack O’ Lantern.

Halloween is the perfect time to let your creativity bring a scary atmosphere to your home. Here are some Halloween decoration ideas that you can try to make your home look spooky and unique.

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The Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkin is an unmissable Halloween icon. You can make one by carving a scary face on a pumpkin and putting a candle or LED light inside. For variety, try using a white pumpkin or painting the pumpkin in a scary colour like black or purple.

Turn your front door into a centre of attention with eerie decorations. Use black paper to create a ghost or skull silhouette, add a fake spider web, and hang an "Enter If You Dare" sign for dramatic effect.

Fake spider webs are easy to find and very effective for creating a horror atmosphere. Just place them in corners of the house, or you can lay them on the furniture or set them in the front garden. Add plastic spiders or make giant spiders out of Styrofoam balls and flexible tubing for greater effect.

Make a floating ghost from thin white fabric hanging from a string. You can use a Styrofoam ball or balloon as the ghost's head and add black eyes and mouth with a marker. Hang from trees or the ceiling for an eerie effect.

Replace regular lights with red, purple, or green lights to create a spooky atmosphere. These coloured lights can be used inside or outside the home, and are especially effective when placed near other decorations such as Jack-O'-Lantern pumpkins or skulls.

Plastic skeletons and skulls are classic Halloween decorations. Place them in the front garden, sitting on a chair, or even at the dinner table. For an extra spooky feel, add torn clothes or a witch's hat.

Don't forget the food decorations! Make cakes or treats with a Halloween theme such as pumpkin-shaped cakes, scary eyes from small doughnuts and jelly, or witch fingers from cakes. Spooky looking food is sure to be the centre of attention at your Halloween party.

Candles always provide a mystical atmosphere. Use candles in black lanterns or vintage candelabra to create a dramatic effect. You can also use electric candles if you are concerned about safety.

Mannequins or dolls dressed up in scary costumes can have a surprising effect on guests. Place them near windows, doors, or in unexpected corners of the room.

Complete your visual decoration with scary sound effects such as howling wolves, the sound of rattling chains, or horror background music. This will give you more spooky vibes to the Halloween atmosphere in your home.

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