Halloween Programs
Halloween is the evening of October 31st it is followed by All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day on November 1st.
The feast of Halloween, also as All Hallows Eve, began in pre-Christian times. It was originally a Celtic festival celebrated widely among the peoples of the British Isles and northern France as the ancient festival of Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year … Traditionally for Halloween, fires were lit as protection against evil spirits and many of it’s customs and superstition, are thousands of years old. Traditional Halloween fires were still being lit as late as the 19th century.
Halloween has an extensive history, reaching back into the mists of time. The rituals we so light-heartedly employ today have their origins in the most serious protective rites, designed to keep the world of the supernatural at bay.[2]
The Roman Empire ‘moved’ All Saints Day to November 1, possibly to correspond with Samhain. It was called All Saints Day or All Hallows Day. All Hallow’s Eve is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on the evening of October 31, it is a time for the faithful to pray for the souls of the dearly departed.
Today, Halloween is mostly a non religious holiday, celebrated with parties, games, and entertainment. Children dress in scary costumes and masks. The children beg for treats and threaten to play tricks unless their demands are satisfied. Pumpkins are hollowed out ,faces are carved in them and candles are set inside them. One of the most popular Halloween games is bobbing for floating apples. Also popular are fortune telling games, and Halloween stories about ghosts and goblins are universal.
NOTE: as some people find Halloween offesive to their religious beliefs [1.], it is important to understand the meaning behind the symbols and rituals involved in the festivities. Do not involve many of the more Pagan elements for a Christian pack as this will most likely produce offense. On the other hand, Scouting is non-demominational and Pagan festivals should have as much relevance to the pack as Christmas and Easter … this is my opinion and approach.
Spooks Night Program
The following are some of the Spooks Night activities that we have used over the last few years, we have found them to be pretty successful …
- Sample Program: Spooks.doc [MS Word]
- Sample Notice: Spooks-2004-notice.doc [MS Word]
- Games for Halloween: Halloween Games [PDF]
Other Spooks Night Resources
Ghost Stories for Scouts and Scouters: http://www.macscouter.com/Stories/GhostStories.html
Ideas for Halloween: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/halloween/
Craft for Halloween: http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_Hallo.html
More Craft for Halloween: http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/halloweencrafts.htm
Halloween is for Science: http://avel.edu.au/sci-tech/hall02.html
Spooky Stories for Halloween: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/halloween/stories.html
References:
[1.] Is “Halloween” just harmless fun?
http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/halloween.html An opinion from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
[2.] Halloween the ancient festival of Samhain
http://www.astrologycom.com/halloween.html
