Walking the thin line between fall and winter, and life and death, Halloween has been the focal point of celebration and superstition in many cultures for as long as we can remember. In retrospect, it comes as no surprise that it’s a favorite holiday to many because of its uniquely celebratory, yet eerie qualities.
Although Halloween today sparks images of flagrant costumes, candy, and pranks, the holiday’s original purposes are much more historical. Halloween as a holiday has developed from traditional Celtic festivities all the way to celebration of execution. Around the world, Halloween has come to mean different things to different cultures, and it’s fascinating to see the development of such a unique holiday in to what it has become today.
Origin of Halloween.
Halloween originates in the Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in). Two thousand years ago, the Celts celebrated the New Year on what is now Nov. 1, and thought of Oct. 31 as the marker between the end of harvest and the start of winter. At this time, the Celts believed that the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred together, and ghosts returned to earth to visit the living.
In addition to damaging crops and causing trouble, the Celts also believed that the presence of ghosts intensified the powers of druids and priests. In a culture so dependent on the natural world, the Celtic people took this time to hold sacred bonfires to honor Celtic deities in order to survive the winter. It’s at this time that people dressed up in various animal costumes and attempted to read fortunes.
Halloween in Mexico.
While today’s Halloween traditions vary extensively from that of the Ancient Celts, Halloween today is still founded on very similar principles of death and ghost worlds. In Mexico and Latin America, Halloween is referred to as All-Souls’ Day, a three-day celebration in which they honor the dead.
Often times, people will decorate altars with candy (bingo!), food and flowers in order to please the ghosts. Outside, candles are lit in the streets to help the dead find their way home. Additionally, gravestones are swept, fixed, and decorated in order to pay respects to the ones that reside there.
Halloween in Asia.
In most Asian cultures, Halloween is not a single day, but a festival that spans an entire month. On the seventh lunar month of the year, the gates of Hell are believed to be open, and the ghosts that reside within will come back to this world to visit the living. In order to stop ghost from entering peoples’ homes, people provide food, burn incense and spirit money, as well as hold festivals and ceremonies.
During this time of the year, people are careful not to provide their addresses to anyone in public in case ghosts may overhear. People are also cautioned to avoid surgery, buying cars, swimming, and going out after dark, since these are all activities prone to danger from ghosts.
Furthermore, there’s really no other holiday like Halloween. Uniquely its own, Halloween’s roots in superstition and history make it both fascinating and a bit terrifying. Despite it’s popular culture celebratory activities and implications, its origins are still someone shrouded in mystery.
