When we think of Halloween, we typically think of costumes and pumpkin farms and Halloween themed movies. In most American homes, Halloween is one of the year's biggest celebrations. We have been enjoying this holiday since we were children, from carving pumpkins to dressing up in costume and parading around the neighborhood in search of candy. There's so much rich tradition around the holiday, things we do merely because we've been doing them all our lives, but have you ever stopped to think about where these traditions come from?
Samhain: the Original Halloween
The holiday first began about 2,000 years ago with the ancient Celtic tradition of Samhain, which means "summer's end". For the Celts, Samhain, which fell on October 31st, marked the last day before the new year. On this day, they believed that the boundary between them and the afterlife became weak; this meant that on this day, the dead were able to return to earth. In order to honor these spirits, the Celts would light large bonfires where they would sacrifice animals as well as crops. They would also dress up in costume, traditionally made from animal parts, as a way of blending in with the spirits.
The Holy Roman Empire Takes Over
Eventually the Holy Roman Empire took the land that once belonged to the Celts. After hundreds of years, traditions between the two groups merged into a slightly different holiday called All Souls' Day, a way of making the Celtic tradition one that was more suitable for the church. However, they still had bonfires and still dressed in costume, this time to mirror saints.
Halloween in America
In the early part of American history, Halloween was not largely celebrated. This is due to the strict Protestant community that existed in New England during this time. In fact, the holiday did not become popular in the United States until the potato famine that struck Ireland in the late 1840s. Because of the famine, the United States saw a surge of Irish immigrants, who brought their Halloween traditions with them. One of these traditions involved going house to house in costume, asking for different things such as money or food. Overtime, this became the norm for American children. As the holiday developed over the years, it became more secular and more of a community activity, rather than a day to commemorate the dead, which is still the case for modern Halloween.
