What is Halloween?
Halloween comes from Celtic and Gaelic customs and beliefs.
Samhain , the first and most important of the four quarters of the Gaelic calendar, is celebrated on October 31; at the same time of the year the Celts celebrate a family feast called Calan Gaeaf, which means “first day of winter”.
Samhain/CalanGaeaf marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year.. It was also believed that during this night the boundaries between this and the “other” world narrowed, which meant that the Aos Sí, the “spirits” or “fairies”, became more active and could cross into this world.
On Samhain it was believed that hospitality should be offered to the Aos Sí to ensure the survival of people and livestock through the winter.
It was also believed that the souls of the dead returned to visit their homes in search of hospitality, a belief found in many cultures around the world.
Since at least the 16th century, this festivity began to include people going from house to house in costume reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. People pretended to be the Aos Yes, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf.
It was also believed that going in disguise protected them from the real spirits.
In many places in Celtic Europe, especially in northern Spain, this festivity is still celebrated by roasting chestnuts as an offering and leaving the stove on all night so that the spirits can find their way home.
Regardless of its origins, it is a much anticipated and celebrated holiday in many parts of the world, especially one that is so much fun for the little ones.
So, if you are thinking of celebrating Halloween, or “All Hallows’ Eve”, we give you 3 very easy ideas to decorate your garden for this holiday.
1. Pumpkins.
Pumpkins are very much associated with the current Halloween, although it is a tradition coming from the United States, since in Europe chestnuts or apples are more typical of this holiday.
To decorate with pumpkins, you can carve a scary face and put a candle inside to light it during the night.
Although it looks difficult, it is actually quite simple to make and offers a very appropriate and beautiful decoration for this holiday.
And if you ask your children to help you with the process, they will have a great time.
If you don’t have time, you can also decorate the entrance of your house with different types of pumpkins and different sizes, placing some candles in the middle to complete the decoration and light them at night.
2. Ghosts.
With a piece of fabric, a thread and a marker, you can make small ghosts to hang outside the window or trees. A craft that will not take much time
3. Bats.
Another easy craft that we propose are bats.
With black cardboard and scissors, you can make the silhouettes of the bats. Thenyou can glue them to a stick and use them to decorate flower pots; or you can use thread and hang them from the lowest branches of the trees.
With these ideas you can have your garden ready for this holiday in record time, and don’t forget to prepare some sweets or roasted chestnuts for visitors!
And if you need advice for your artificial grass, don’t hesitate to contact us.
