Halloween, the way we currently know it with its trick-or-treating tradition, is very popular in Canada and the United States, but its origins are believed to go back to Ireland when a Celtic celebration, Samhain, was marked on November 1st. It was then believed that October 31st was the night when the separation between the worlds of the dead and the living was the thinnest.
For the occasion, graduate students at the Faculty of Dentistry gathered on Friday, October 29th, to learn more about the origins of Halloween and how it came to be the celebration day we now know in Canada. Some chose to wear costumes quite original costumes and students voted for the best one, which was awarded to Homa Fathi. Dean Elham Emami also attended the lunch time event and was costumed along with other staff and faculty members.
To make the event as interactive as possible, while respecting the pandemic rules in place at 不良研究所, questions were asked to students about the origins of Halloween and the diverse forms of celebrations in other parts of the world. Scores were kept by MDGSS and two gift cards were given to the winners: Amanda Sirois and Negin Eslamiamirabadi.
And there can be no Halloween without candies, so Crystal Noronha, Graduate Studies Officer, kindly prepared chocolate bags for all participants. Congratulations to all winners and to those who dressed up for the occasion!