One of the most anticipated autumn holidays, Halloween has lately spread widely outside the US and Western Europe. Once not accepted, it has become a usual celebration in Ukraine, as well: clubs host parties where you can dress up and go wild, restaurants and cafes offer Halloween-themed dishes, and stores are full of pop-up decor for apartments and houses. But where does this holiday really come from?
While the origins aren’t agreed upon by historians, the most popular version states that Halloween takes its roots from the Celtic festival called Samhain, which symbolized beginning of a year. On this day, farmers brought livestock in and people built shelters for winter. Old Celts believed that Samhain was a magical time - the usual barriers of our world and the world of supernatural broke that day, and dead could be walking among living. Thus, they introduced rituals: burning vegetables, fruits or even animals to please the gods. Modern Halloween traditions, like asking ghosts for advice on Ouja board, came from the Celts as well - they believed dead possess the secrets of the future. Later, the holiday was Christianized and became «The Day of All Saints».
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Each country has its quirks in celebrations: early American settlers brought in ghost stories, Germans were into witchcraft lore, and African peoples introduced the common belief about black cats and well known in popular culture magic of voodoo. So how does one exactly spice up their living spot for Halloween? Let’s have a look at these ideas.
Pumpkins
A central feature of the holiday, pumpkins can be easily bought at the supermarket or a local market. The size of them depends mostly on how you want to introduce them into your interior: can it take much space in the room you put it in? Or perhaps you want something less brash, yet stylish? Pumpkin decorations look best if matched with surrounding colors - apart from the classical cravings with spooky faces (or your favorite characters from the movies or TV-series), opt for clear colors like white or black with spots of gold. Those match with most interior choices and are going to look undoubtedly stylish.
Pastel colors / monochrome
To go on with the theme of colors, the latest trends introduced us to «pastel» and soft Halloween choices: decor and pumpkins in mint, lilac, light grey. This palette can reveal itself in scented candles, cookies, balloons or flowers. Apart from the Halloween occasion, those can stay with you for a while - they light up the room in winter, especially when there’s not enough light that gets in. Monochrome palette is a choice for the bold ones - usually, it fits minimalistic interior or Provence chic. Black pillows and vain mirrors, white bedsheets and vases are one of a few examples of interior details you can sneak in for Halloween.
Boho chic
Ever the classics, boho in interior stays strong despite the new-appearing trends. Think of the southern Gothic with its animal skulls, voodoo elements, old books and mysterious vibe. Pillows with ornamented cases can make even the most basic furniture brighter, as well as a small carpet beneath the bed. If the walls in your apartment are rather thin, consider putting a Tarot-themed linen on: apart from the holiday vibe,Tarot cards are incredibly detailed and carry special meaning. You can read up on those on the Internet and choose the one which resonates the most with you, to add a bit of magic in your daily life.
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