Halloween, a holiday of costumes, and candy, was once an entirely different celebration.
Traditions of Halloween trace back to the Celtic festival of Samhain 2,000 years ago. Countries in northern Europe would celebrate their new year in late October, marking the end of summer. Symbolizing the beginning of winter and associated with death. They believed that during this time, the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead thinned. On the night of October 31st, ghosts would return and cause mischief. People would paint their faces to ward off these unwanted guests, a tradition that over the years would transition to the costumes seen today.
Senior Dylan Dickerson gives an example: “ The most elaborate costume I have ever worn was Eliza Hamilton in 5th grade. I wore a petticoat and everything.”
During the 7th century, the Catholic Church established November 1st as All Saints’ Day, to commemorate saints. By the 9th century, Christian missionaries made their way to Celtic land and the two cultures began to merge. The church made November 2nd All Souls’ Day, a day to remember the dead, and Saints’ Day was often referred to as All-Hallows. The Celts referred to their Samhain Festival on October 31st as All Hallows Eve and then Halloween. These days merged into one and created the holiday celebrated today.
Often on All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day, children would go door-to-door singing and would receive pastries called soul cakes, in exchange for a prayer to the relatives of the people whose homes they were visiting. The practice evolved into the trick-or-treating we know and love!
Senior Iris Besmer agrees with this tradition. “ My favorite Halloween tradition is eating lots of candy and not feeling bad.”
The practice of carving pumpkins began in the 1800s in Ireland. A myth about a man “Stingy Jack,” who tricked the devil and was forced to roam the earth with coal in a turnip for light. People began to make their versions of Jack’s lantern using different vegetables and placed them on their doorsteps to scare away spirits. This is something we still practice today.
“The most impressive pumpkin I can remember doing is a cat sitting on a moon,” Dickerson said.
Halloween is a day celebrated each year with traditions like costumes, pumpkins, and candy. It is interesting to see where these practices originated, back thousands of years, when it was celebrated differently. From this, we better understand our beloved holiday!
