Ever wonder why we carve pumpkins or why people wear costumes on Halloween? I get so excited to participate in these festivities each year, I usually forget that these traditions are long-standing and actually have pretty interesting historical backgrounds. In fact, almost every aspect of Halloween stems from some sort of event or practice from cultures across history. I did some sleuthing on the world wide web and found some interesting tales behind our favorite Halloween traditions. Check them out below!
- Many Halloween Traditions Originate from the Celtic Holiday, Samhain
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The Celtic people celebrated a special holiday called Samhain that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new year. During this time, they believed spirits could walk the earth again, so many people reported sightings of ghosts. Because of this, people grew afraid thinking that the spirits were evil and out to get them, so they developed ways to deter the spirits from approaching them, namely through wearing scary outfits. Some would even attempt to dress as they believed spirits would so that any spirits passing by would mistake them for a fellow ghost and leave them alone. Additionally, igniting large fires was a common practice while celebrating Samhain. These fires attracted insects, which resulted with an influx of bats populating the festival. As years went on, bats became associated with the holiday and the Celtic people created folklore relating to the bats, claiming they symbolized death. Also, Halloween’s trademark colors, orange and black, stemmed from Samhain as well: the color black was meant to represent the “death” or ending of summer, while orange reflected the fall harvest season that Samhain commemorated.
- Introducing Stingy Jack, the Original Jack-O’-Lantern
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Once upon a time in Ireland, there lived a lad named Stingy Jack who somehow had the means of repeatedly trapping the Devil. Stingy Jack would only set the Devil free if he agreed to never send Jack to hell. When Stingy Jack inevitably died, he discovered he wasn’t exactly welcome in Heaven either, so instead of going to either place, his soul is bound to roam the earth forever. Apparently, the Devil gave him a lump of burning coal in a carved out turnip to light his way while he roamed. Thus, in Ireland, they carved faces into turnips to ward off stray spirits like Stingy Jack, which eventually turned into carving pumpkins.
- Trick-Or-Treat, But Make It American — or Scottish, or Pagan
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There are many different theories regarding how trick-or-treating came to be. Remember our spirit-fearing Celtic friends? According to legends, people would leave meals or treats outside their doors during Samhain to appease any aggravated spirits that might be passing by. Later, the skeptical Celtics grew smart and dressed as spirits themselves to receive such goodies in place of the actual spirits. In the Scottish tradition, however, it’s believed that people went from door to door asking for candy or food in exchange for prayers said for passed loved-ones in honor of All Souls Day. Sometimes, though, people would offer a trick or prank in return for the candy, instead of prayers. But according to American legend, trick-or-treating started when German-American children would dress in strange costumes and go to their neighbors’ doors. The neighbors would attempt to identify the costume, and if they couldn’t, the children were rewarded with candy.
- Why So Much Candy?
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Did you know that it wasn’t actually until the 20th century that it became tradition to pass out or receive candy on Halloween? Initially, children were given toys, money or nuts. It wasn’t until candy companies in the 1950s started a marketing campaign that pushed for the sale of individually wrapped candies. As time went on, giving out candy on Halloween became more convenient than passing out these other treats, and eventually more popular.
- Bobbing For Apples
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I’ve only ever bobbed for apples once in my life, but for some reason I remember this being a big Halloween tradition growing up, especially in stories for children. This tradition stems from Roman mythology, in which the game honors the goddess of agriculture and abundance, Pomona. Supposedly, the game was a part of a courting ritual held during festivals honoring Pomona and helped young men and women predict their future relationships.
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