Spooky halloween

Rattling skeletons, witches on brooms, black cats, pumpkins, bloodthirsty vampires, spiderwebs, ghosts, trick or treat… in the Netherlands, too, we immediately think: Halloween. Halloween is not a huge celebration in our country, especially in the United States, but also in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. However, under the influence of Americanization, media, and commerce, Halloween is gaining increasing popularity. Halloween originates from Celtic culture. The name Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints' Day, the feast that Christians celebrate on November 1 in remembrance of all saints and martyrs. In the Irish-Celtic calendar, the new year (Samhain) began on November 1. Samhain was also special because the Celts believed that on this day the spirits of those who had died in the previous year returned. These spirits would then attempt to possess a living body for the coming year. They were attracted by laying out food. To ward off evil spirits, the Celts wore masks. Around 1840, many Irish people fled to the United States as a result of the famine. This is how Halloween arrived in the United States. Over the years, the holiday has also spread to countries such as Suriname, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Bonaire. Despite Halloween being immensely popular in many countries, not many stamps featuring this subject are issued. Most of these were already shown in a previous article.