You’re wearing a tube-top dress, a tutu, knee high socks with heels, wings that make it impossible to walk through a doorframe, and some kind of animal ears. Yesterday, you carved a pumpkin into a gaping mouth with two squinted eyes and strew its guts onto the floor to make it look like it was barfing. Oh, how hilarious. Your little cousins are going trick or treating in the nicer part of town where they give out king-sized Crunch bars. But, do you know why?
Well, it’s Halloween, right? But what does that mean?
Here’s where some of your favorite traditions originated:
1) The Holiday Itself
Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Pagan Celts celebrated a new years festival called Samhain, pronounced sow-en. The Celts New Year began on November 1st because that’s when it started getting cold. New years day was considered the only time of year that a portal was open between the living and the dead, because winter meant the death of crops and weak livestock. The town held an annual summer foods festival where people went door-to-door asking for food and drink from their neighbors. Those who complied were said to be rewarded by faeries, while the rest were punished.
When Christianity spread to the lands inhabited by the Celts, they altered the holiday to fit Christian beliefs. The Christian holiday All Saints Day also related to the dead so its original date, March 13th, was moved to November 1st in order to replace Samhain. The name “All Saints Day” translated to “All Hallows Eve” or “Al Hallowmas,” which is Old English for “All Saints Day.” Eventually, the name evolved to our modern day “Halloween.”
2) Jack O’ Lanterns
According to Jack O’Lantern legend, there was a drunk named “Stingy Jack” who made the over-confident mistake of asking the devil to have a drink with him. He had no money to pay for the drink, so he tricked the devil into turning himself into a coin. He placed the coin in his pocket with a cross so the devil couldn’t change back. In order to escape, the devil promised Jack not to bother him for a year. One year later Jack was up in a tree picking a piece of fruit. The devil was there waiting for him, but Jack escaped leaving the devil stuck in the tree. In order to get down, the devil promised Jack he wouldn’t seek his soul anymore. When Jack died, he couldn’t go to heaven because he was a drunk, nor could he go to hell because of the devil’s promise. He was forced to wander the earth. The Irish and Scottish made Jack O’ Lanterns to scare Stingy Jack’s soul away.
3) Black Cats and Witches
Cats (especially black cats) were considered evil during medieval times. The tradition of witches came from witch trials, like the ones in Salem. The Christians believed there were real witches living among us.
4) Costumes
The Celts dressed in costume in order to ward of evil spirits during Samhain. Since a bridge existed between the living and the dead that night, the living feared the spirits would possess them. It was also believed that faeries roamed the streets dressed as beggars. After Samhain became All Saints Day, people dressed as ghosts and devils to represent the dead.
So… this doesn’t exactly explain your “Referee Sheila B. Cheatin” or “Sexy Watermelon” costume (Link to Sexy Watermelon Costume). We obviously got a little off track.
Photo Sources:
“The Holiday Itself” picture: http://rccblog.com/2010/10/26/halloween/
“Jack O’ Lanterns” picture: http://bumbumgerms.blogspot.com/2011/09/one-about-various-other-nasty-ph…
“Black Cats and Witches” picture: http://www.strangehistory.net/2011/05/03/black-cats-unlucky-for-some/
“Halloween Costumes” picture: http://www.thegoodshep.org/category/costume