Halloween in Scotland, filled with opportunities to have fun!

It was Scotland that fully introduced us to all the possibilities of Halloween. There was no trick or treat, in Scotland their practices for Halloween, preceeded the American adaptations. In Scotland the celebrations were based on a the Celtic festival of Samhain, this is the feast of the all-souls.  Halloween customs in Scotland consisted chiefly of children going door to door "guising" dressing up and offering entertainment of various sorts in return for gifts. This practice involved children performing in some way like singing a song, telling jokes, or playing and instrument - for their efforts they would be invited in to eat some food in the home. Then at the end of the guising everyone would gather in the community hall and everyone would perform and have a party. Here is a photo of Tim and I all ready to begin our Halloween night in Scotland. We had been very busy making our costumes!