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Have you already started carving the scariest-ever orange pumpkin? If not, it’s time to get ready … Halloween in London is almost upon us!
The Origin of Halloween. Where Does It Come From?
Probably not everybody knows the origins of this festival widely celebrated on the 31st October. Its origins go back 2000 years, during the Pre-Christian era in Britain, Ireland and France where the Celts lived.
According to their beliefs, on this night the ghosts of the dead would visit the World of the Living to destroy their crops. In each village, bonfires were lit up in order to protect the people from the evil spirits and keep them warm at the same time. Furthermore, they also used to dress up with scary costumes and carve turnip to ward them off. The turnip was replaced by the pumpkin when English people moved to America.
This festival was called Samhain.
The Roman Copycat
When the Romans conquered Britain in 43 AD, a new festival was held on the 1st of November with the aim of remembering all the saints and it became known as “All Hallow’s Day”. Pope Gregory tried to introduce the Samhain festival in a variation approved by the Church.
At this point of the story you will probably be wondering: “Is this somehow related to the scariest night of the year? Well, yes. The night before the 1st of November became known first as All-Hallows-even, then as Hallow-Eve to finally be called as we are nowadays referring to it: Halloween.
THINGS TO DO ON HALLOWEEN IN LONDON
London is believed to be one of the most haunted cities in the world! Keep your eyes open and look over your shoulders! To make this celebration even more special, join our walking tours around London!
The ghost of Father Benedict is still wandering around Westminster Abbey and the Red Lady has been recently spotted in Hyde park. Have you seen the famous horror movie “The Conjuring”? Well, the main story is taken from an actual fact happened in Enfield. Join our free Ghost tour to discover more about these spooky tales and enjoy a night walk with us!
Or maybe you are more interested in gruesome murders like Jack the Ripper’s ones. Walking through the dark alleyways of Whitechapel you will experience the scary and mysterious atmosphere typical of those nights. Book it on October 31st!
If you are a harry potter fan, probably you would prefer to take your magic wand with you and gather with all the other wizards in our bespoke Harry Potter tour to discover the locations of this worldwide-famous masterpiece.
London’s history has been marked by several events and facts among which the witches’ hunt. If you want to find out more about these cruelties but at the same time all their practices and occurrences, join us on this free walking tour to discover this fascinating and hardly-known side of London’s history!
You are spoilt for choice! We will do our best to make this Halloween unforgettable!
