On this date, in 811, Krum the Terrible decorated his evening banquet with the skull of Nicephorus, and the children of his soldiers were given additional treats in honor of the victory over the Romans. Masked in various armor, warriors performed ritual dances in memory of the dead.
The custom of celebrating Halloween began then.
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The joke aside, behind this anecdote lies a deeper truth. This is recalled on "Facebook" historian Alexander Stoyanov.
According to old medieval practice, the campaign season ended at the end of October - Dimitrov Den was a reference point, but before Christianity, the Bulgarians used this natural transition from early to late autumn.
At the same time, the harvest ended at the end of October, which was also celebrated with celebrations and feasts.
It is logical that after the victory in the Varbish Pass and the pursuit of the defeated Roman forces, Krum would disband his troops in mid-autumn and give them their due rewards, distribute the entire booty, etc.
The men would return home from the campaigns, bring gifts, and probably at the first, festive dinner, they would also commemorate the fallen warriors.
The actual Halloween was born as a mixture of the celebration the end of the agricultural season and the Christian holiday of All Saints - both occurred in the period October 30 - November 2.