The holiday we all know and love is creeping around the corner. Now that Halloween is about a week away, it is time to discuss how the holiday and its traditions came to be.

What is Halloween:

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Irish immigrants brought their Halloween traditions, blending them with local customs like carving pumpkins, going house to house for treats, and dressing up in costumes. Halloween began in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was always celebrated on October 31st. Celts lived around 2,000 years ago and now spread across Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France. They believed the night before the new year was between the worlds of the living and then later on the dead became unfocused. On this night they celebrated Samhain this is when they believed that the ghosts of the dead would return.

Carving Pumpkins:

With Irish immigrants, carving pumpkins symbolizes protection for evil spirits and the souls of death. There is a story named “Stingy Jack” that they used for the explanations for the tradition. In the story, Jack tricks the devil for money to scare away Jack’s soul Irish people began carving faces into turnips. Today, pumpkin carving is a family-friendly activity that involves intricate designs and competitions.

Why We Dress:

One theory that explains why we dress up in costumes on Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and dress up in costumes to scare off roaming ghosts and spirits. They believed that on Halloween, ghosts came back to Earth and would haunt anyone who left their homes. Today people of all ages dress up as numerous of characters as a fun and creative way to celebrate the holiday.

Trick or Treating:

Trick-or-treating evolved from an old tradition called “going a-soul,” which occurred when children celebrating the Festival of Samhain requested food and treats from door to door. Kids would knock on a neighbor’s door and offer to pray for the souls of their relatives in exchange for gifts. The children would be given food, coins, ale, and other trinkets in exchange for their kind thoughts. This tradition eventually made its way to America in the early 1900s, when the United States welcomed a large influx of European immigrants. As the tradition made its way in America many parents felt that accepting unwrapped food/candy from strangers was unsafe for the kids. Many people also agreed, and stated that it was also time-consuming making food to give out. Today candy is passed out individually wrapped while still being able to enjoy it.

The evolution of Halloween reflects the blending of different cultures making it a holiday that continues to enchant and excite people of all ages around the world.