Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, my family went all out for Halloween: awesome costumes, spooky decorations, and plenty of scares. Although I’ve always been fascinated with the holiday, I’ve never known its origins. In honor of the spooky season, I decided to research the origins of Halloween.
The earliest celebration relating to Halloween was a festival called Samhain. Samhain was celebrated by the ancient Celtics. According to the Celtic calendar, November 1 was the start of the New Year. This time also marked the changing seasons, specifically the end of summer and the start of winter. Additionally, it was a time of life and death. It was seen as renewal of life because it was the start of a fresh year. Contrastingly, it was seen as a conclusion. The Celtics believed that during Samhain, ghosts would come back to the world. In order to appease the spirits, the Celtics would leave offering and burn large bonfires. They also wore costumes to confuse spirits. Overall, Samhain was a large celebration of both life and death.
The next holiday that was related to Halloween was All Saints Day, which celebrated Christian saints. The night before All Saints Day was All Hallows Eve. It was a blend of the Samhain festival and newly adopted traditions. They still celebrated with costumes and bonfires, but they also started exchanging food.
Halloween became a huge holiday in colonial America, especially in the Southern colonies. Because America is a melting pot of so many cultures, many different versions of Halloween began to create a uniquely American version of Halloween. In the 1800s, ghost stories and practices of witchcraft were considered fun Halloween activities. Pranks became associated with the holiday in the early 1900s, especially during the Great Depression. Trick or treating became widespread in the 1950s.
Even though Halloween might look a little different this year because of Covid-19, there have been other times when Halloween was not traditional. During World War II, Halloween was not heavily celebrated because of the sugar shortage. This year as you celebrate with your family and friends, remember the long history of Halloween. Have fun and be safe!