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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 OCTOBER 2019 11 CULTURE SCIENCE DID you know that Halloween has been around for more than 2000 years? The tradi- tion originated from Celtic tribes who used to celebrate New Year on the 1st of November, and therefore considered the 31st of October as the last day of summer and the gathering of the harvest. This festival, known as Samhain, was cel- ebrated by the whole community, as they believed that this was a period when the worlds of the living and the dead were joined with ghosts of the dead returning to Earth. Rituals such as bonfires, crop burning, live- stock sacrifices, and costumes made from animal fur were believed to help in the pro- tection of the crops against monsters from the spirit world. When the Roman Empire ruled over the Celtic lands, the Celtic festival of Samhain was linked with the Christian celebration of All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day is a Christian celebration that honoured the dead. Once the influence of Christianity had spread into the Celtic lands, the two celebrations blend- ed together. In fact, the name Halloween comes from All Saints' Day which is also called All-hallows or All-Hallowmas, and so Samhain, which is the night before it, started to be called All- Hallows-Eve and ultimately, Halloween. When Halloween reached America, it transformed from a pagan ritual to a day of celebrations for the whole family featuring storytelling, dancing, singing, parties, cos- tumes and trick-or-treating. However, all of this evolved through the decades. In the 1910s and 1920s people started to dress up in home-made costumes of characters such as witches and ghosts. In the 1920s and 1930s we saw the intro- duction of trick or treating, haunted houses and costume parties; such activities were organised in neighbourhoods to help keep young people out of trouble in the times of the Great Depression. As a result of this severe worldwide eco- nomic depression, commercially made cos- tumes only became affordable in the 1950s and by the 1960s, Halloween costumes and masks started to become more elaborate and popular. As horror films became more popular in the 1980s, Halloween took a twist, with cel- ebrations becoming more 'frightening' and 'grotesque'. Over the past few years, Halloween celebra- tions have been introduced into the Maltese culture as well. Children are dressing up and going around their town for trick-or-treat- ing, families are decorating their homes with autumn pumpkins and festive lights and looking for Halloween parties and events to enjoy a night out together as a family. At Esplora Interactive Science Centre, Hal- loween has also become an annual event, eagerly awaited by many. Last year, Esplora went back to its roots and changed back into a military hospital. This year, it's show time! With Esplora transforming into a circus, ready to astonish and awe with its scientific curiosities, surprising mixtures of chemis- try, heart-stopping physics and marvellous biology. In Esplora's A Night of Wonders, one can expect a little bit of everything that can be experienced at the circus. Prepare to be amazed by the ring master as you explore fire in a new show called 'Science on Fire'. A magnificent balloons show is perfect for those who are curious about finding out how balloons can be inflated full of oxygen and deflated using a freezing liquified gas. And if you have the stomach for it, drop by our dissection corner to discover how amazingly complex organism bodies are. All of this and more on Halloween night at Esplora Interactive Science Centre. Tickets from www.showshappening.com. Halloween A night of wonders at Esplora In Esplora's A Night of Wonders, one can expect a little bit of everything