HALLOWEEN

Halloween is coming! Surely you know something about this festival: carved pumpkins, costumes, trick or treating... If you want to know more, visit this very interesting Wikipedia page. These are the basic facts:

• It has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Irish immigrants took the tradition to the USA.
  
• The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31 the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead became dangerous for the living.
• Costumes and masks were worn in order to placate the evil spirits.
• The term Halloween derives from All Hallows' Even, as it is the eve of All Hallows Day (All Saints Day).
• The carved pumpkin is commonly called a jack-o'-lantern (see why in the Wikepedia article).

Some carvings are truly artistic. Check out this curious photo gallery.









You know which is the hottest mask this year? Forget about monsters: it's Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential candidate. They are selling like hot pancakes.