Halloween
We would be remis if we did not talk about Halloween at this time of year, so we bring you:
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OktoberfestBy Lucia Dinapoli
Oktoberfest! If you’re going to visit Germany at some point, then October might just be the perfect time for you.
A 'Volksfest' is a traditional beer festival and travelling funfair, and Oktoberfest is the world's largest. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, in Germany and lasts between 16 to 18 days. It takes place from mid or late September to the first Sunday in October. With more than six million people from all around the globe attending the event every year, this folk festival is an Autumn lovers dream destination. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, as it has been held there every year - other than 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 Pandemic - since the year 1810. Now that is some sure fire proof it’s fun! Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are designed with the original Munich event in mind. It has been the home to some very important events throughout time, for example, on a very positive note, it has also been home to Rosa Wiesn, or Gay Oktoberfest, which refers to a number of LGBT events which take place throughout the Oktoberfest period, making it the second-biggest LGBT event to take place in the city! At the festival there is plenty to do. Visitors enjoy numerous attractions, amusement rides, sidestalls, and games. There is a wide variety of traditional foods available such as Steckerlfisch, Schnitzel, and Bratwurst and during the event, a very large quantity of beer is consumed (during 2013 at least 6 million litres were served! Talk about thirsty). As well as this, high-topped Bavarian coloured tents are littered across the venue where orchestras play everything from traditional folk music to rock, pop and electric. Traditional folk dancers dressed in lederhosen and drindl can be watched throughout the event too. There really is something for everyone! |
The History of HalloweenBy Augusta Daedalus
Halloween has existed in some form since about 2,000 years ago. It originates from the Celts; a name given to a collection of tribes that lived mostly in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern parts of France. One tradition of the Celts was the celebration of Samhain (sow-in) festival every year on October 31st. The Celts believed, that the barrier between the living and the dead was weaker on this night and ghosts were able to return from the afterlife.
Samhain was a large celebration. Druids, celtic priests, would construct gigantic, sacred bonfires. The fire from this sacred fire was used to reignite the home hearths of the families in the community, as a ritual which was meant to banish evil. People also dressed in animal skins to disguise themselves from any harmful spirits or to collect offerings from feasts by dressing up to imitate spirits and monsters. Families also held feasts to remember loved ones who had recently died and played games such as apple-dooking. In the Middle Ages, Christians began taking written records of Samhain festivities and also began using the tradition (and many other pagan rituals) to help spread their religion, though they changed some aspects of the festival. In the 19th century, Irish immigrants to America brought Samhain, now known as All Hallows Eve/ Halloween, which further changed the traditions. For instance, jack-o-lanterns originally began as a tradition of carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes to scare off “Stingy Jack” and other evil spirits. America had more pumpkins growing than turnips or potatoes, so people looking to scare off Stingy Jack used those instead. Now most people celebrate Halloween, but some remaining modern Wiccans and other followers of pagan religions choose to celebrate Samhain the traditional way. |