Halloween

Halloween is the original name in English is a traditional and cultural event, which
occurs in Anglo-Saxon countries, particularly important in the United States, Canada,
Ireland and the United Kingdom, based on the origin and celebration of old people (not
there are references whence these celebrations)
The origin of Halloween dates back to the traditions of people who lived in Gaul and
the islands of Great Britain between the years 600 BC and 800 AD, although with
marked differences from the current pumpkins or the famous phrase "Trick or Treat",
exported by United States of America, which popularized the celebration. Originally,
Halloween was not related to witches. It was a festival calendar Celtic Ireland, the
festival of Samhain, celebrated between October 30 and November 2 and marked the
end of summer. The celebration of Halloween has two sources that in the course of
history have mingling:

Pagan Origin

The pagan origin has to do with the Celtic celebration called Samhain, which was
meant to worship the dead. The invasion of the British Isles by the Romans (46 BC)
ended up mixing the Latin culture with Celtic, with the latter eventually waned with
time. At the end of the century, with the evangelization of these territories, the religion
of the Celts, called Druidism, had already disappeared in most communities. Little is
known about the religion of the Druids, because it was not written anything about it:
everything was transmitted orally from generation to generation. It is known that the
festivities of Samhain was celebrated quite possibly between 5 and November 7
(midway between the summer equinox and winter solstice). They were preceded by a
series of celebrations that lasted a week, and they proceeded to the Celtic new year. The
"feast of the dead" was one of its most important dates, as celebrated what for us would
be "heaven and earth" (concepts that only came with Christianity). To the Celts, the
place of the dead was a place of perfect happiness, where there would be no hunger or
pain. The festival was celebrated with rites presided over by the Druid priests, who
acted as mediums between people and their ancestors. It was also said that the spirits of
the dead returned on that date to visit their old homes and lead their families into the
other world.
From Catholic
From the fourth century the Church of Syria devoted a day to celebrate "All Martyrs".
Three centuries later, Pope Boniface IV († 615) became a Roman temple dedicated to
all gods (pantheon) in a Christian church and dedicated it to "All Saints", to all those
who preceded us in faith. The feast in honor of All Saints, was originally celebrated on
May 13, but Pope Gregory III († 741) changed the date to November 1, which was the
day of the dedication of the Chapel of All Saints Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome. Later in
the 840, Pope Gregory IV ordered that the feats of All Saints was celebrated
universally. How big party, it also won his evening celebration or wake, which prepares
a feast the day before (October 31).
 Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada, observed as a day
of gratitude, usually to God, for the good events during the year. On this day, people
give thanks to the festivities and prayers.

United States of America

The first days of Thanksgiving in New England were festivals of gratitude to God in
thanks to good harvests per year. For this reason, the Day of Thanksgiving is celebrated
in the autumn after the harvest has been collected.
The first one was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the settlers who founded the
village in 1620. After poor harvests and a harsh winter, the settlers had a good crop of
corn in the summer of 1621. By order of the governor of the town in honor of this
achievement in relation to previous years, a festival was marked in the early fall of
1621. The men of Plymouth killed ducks and turkeys. Other foods that were part of the
menu was fish and corn. About 90 Indians also attended the festival. Everyone ate
outdoors on a big table.
However, for many years, the Day of Thanksgiving was not established as a national
holiday and is observed as such only in certain American states like New York,
Massachusetts and Virginia. In 1863, the then President of the United States, Abraham
Lincoln, said the Wednesday and Thursday in the third week of November would be the
national day of Thanksgiving.
But in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted that day would be
celebrated the third week of November, in order to help trade by increasing the time
available for advertising and shopping before Christmas (the time it was considered
inappropriate to advertise products sold before the Day of Thanksgiving). As
Roosevelt's declaration was not mandatory, 23 states adopted the measure introduced by
Roosevelt, and 22 did not, with the remainder taking both the Thursday of the third and
fourth weeks of November as a Day of Thanksgiving. The U.S. Congress, to resolve
this impasse, and then set the Day of Thanksgiving was celebrated in the final Thursday
of the fourth week of November and would be a national holiday.

Canada

The first official day of Thanksgiving held in Canada was celebrated on April 5, 1872,
having been recognized as a national holiday by the Canadian Parliament in 1879. In
1957, the Canadian Government instituted the Monday of the second week of October
as the Day of Thanksgiving.
The turkey is considered the main dish of the day of Thanksgiving.
Both the United States and in Canada the day after Thanksgiving is usually a day
when people use the free time to spend with family, making large gatherings and family
dinners. It is also a day when many people devote their time to religious thought, in
church services and prayers.
The Day of Thanksgiving is also celebrated with big parades and in the United States,
with the realization of football games. The typical dish of the day of Thanksgiving
turkey is usually.
 Christmas Day
Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday celebrated annually on December 25,
commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The date of celebration is not known to
be actual birthday of Jesus, and may have been initially chosen to correspond with any
of a historic Roman festival or the winter solstice. Christmas Day marks the start of the
biggest holiday season of Christmas, which lasts twelve days.
Modern customs of the holiday include gift, church celebrations, exchange of cards,
and display several honors, including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity
scenes, and Holly. Santa Claus / Father Christmas, although the two numbers have
different origins, is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at
Christmas for children. Santa is generally believed to be the result of a syncretism
between St. Nicholas and the elements of Norse pagan and Christian, and his modern
appearance is believed to have originated in the 19th century media.
Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but also has been
celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular cultural festival. Because the gift and
many other aspects of the holiday involves increased economic activity among both
Christians and non Christians, Christians has become a big event for many retailers.