It was the handle on which bells were hung which would be rattled to scare away evil spirits.

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During Samhain, Celts built huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits.

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To drive away evil spirits, 500, 000 rounds of eardrum-testing pyrotechnics will be set off at Sara Roosevelt Park in Chinatown at the New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival on 10 February, before lion and dragon dance troupes make the rounds to local businesses to ring in the Year of the Snake.

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"She was in good spirits and had no worries or reason to run away from her life, " Fred Murray said.

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Dogs are said to have an instinctive ability to detect the demonic spirits that are so significant to Balinese beliefs, their barks being welcomed at night as they chase negative forces away.

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