Fun Halloween History

Halloween has always brought to mind images of haunted houses, dressing in costumes for trick-or-treating, and general ghostly fun. However, its origins are actually quite serious and stem from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. The date of November 1 was considered to be the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Winter is a time of nature sleeping, with no new growth. Everything stops, and the night before it takes place, many believed that the veil between life and death was thinner and therefore easier to pass through. It was thought that the spirits of the dead took advantage of this time by crossing over and causing mischief, which might include damage to the crops. The festival included meals and fellowship, with the burning of bonfires to honor and appease those who had passed on.

When the Romans invaded the area, they combined two of their festivals with Samhain including their tradition of paying homage to the goddess of fruit bearing trees, Pamona. The symbol that represented this goddess was the apple, which is an important part of the Halloween tradition. The game of "bobbing for apples" is where apples are placed in a tub of water, while the participant (while blindfolded) attempts to grab it with their teeth and without using their hands. The practice itself also has origins in the original Samhain celebration, where it was believed whoever retrieved the apple would be the next one to marry.

When the Christian church came into the equation, the holiday was changed from Samhain to All Saints Day (or in Middle English, "Hallowmas"). This was a day of honoring the saints of the Church. The night before was of course called, All Hallows Eve. In reality, this was an attempt to rewrite history and give the celebration a Christian spin. In later years, the second day of November was declared to be All Soul's Day, which honored the dead with bonfires, much as the Samhain celebration had done.

When the European settlers arrived on the shores of what is now the United States, they brought many of their traditions with them. This included the celebration of All Saints Day. As the cultures of the people indigenous to the land began to mesh with those of the settlers, what we know as the traditional Halloween celebration began to take its roots here. It continued to include a celebration for the harvest as well as a time for honoring the dead.

Halloween continues today to be a holiday that many of us look forward to celebrating. Some of its more mystical meanings have gotten lost over time, however the spirit of looking beyond the veil into what might be there continues. Stories of ghosts and haunted houses are told to both thrill and excite us. We can step out of our every day lives and into the world of the beyond... even if only for one night.

It was mentioned earlier that bobbing for apples possibly derived from the Roman celebration of Pamona. What of the other traditions that have come to be part of the Halloween experience?

Why do we hollow out and carve pumpkins into scary faces, with a lighted candle inside?

What about trick-or-treating and dressing up in costumes?

Read on and we will tell you more about Halloween traditions:

One of the most popular legends of the Jack-O-Lantern was and old Irish tale of an unscrupulous man named Jack who tricked the Devil into turning himself into a coin after having a drink with him. He thought by placing the coin next to a cross he carried around would keep the Devil bound.

When Jack died the next Hallows Eve, neither Heaven or Hell would accept him. When he told the Devil he couldn't see to find his way out, the Devil gave him a hot coal... which Jack in turn placed inside a turnip.

To this day, he wanders around, looking for his final resting place. There are a few other variations of the story, but the message of trying to trick the Devil at his own game remains the same. Pumpkins took the place of turnips or beets when the Irish immigrants found that pumpkins were cheaper and in greater abundance in America.

Trick-or-treating is one of the things most anticipated about Halloween. Bowls of candy are waiting by the door in many homes, anticipating the arrival of brightly dressed and masked children with hopeful eyes and open bags. And if those bags aren't filled, the little darlings just may play a trick on you! This tradition goes back to the early celebrations of Samhain and the belief that the spirits that crossed over on that night were in a mischievous mood. To appease them, treats of food and drink would be placed outside the home for the Druid priests to offer up to the spirits.

There was also the practice of "souling" in Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages. This was where the poor would go around to people's homes and ask for contributions of food on All Souls Day. In return, they would offer prayers for souls who had passed on. Trick-or-treating didn't begin in earnest in the United States until the very early part of the twentieth century. It was of course fostered by the candy industry, who saw a great money-making potential. Every year, the candy companies change colors and themes in the weeks before Halloween to make it more compelling to buy.

Dangers presented in today's society have somewhat curtailed the practice of conventional trick-or-treating. Many towns now have spooky events where candy is passed out in supervised conditions, and malls offer a safe place for families to take the kids for treats.

Halloween costumes are another tradition that continues, for both children and adults.

The practice itself is thought to again stem from the festival of Samhain, when masks and costumes were worn as a disguise to avoid recognition from any evil spirits who might be around.

Today, children enjoy dressing up for Halloween parties and trick-or-treat excursions, however it is not limited to kids! Halloween costumes are made for all ages and many adults dress up for Halloween parties and get-togethers, as well as for taking the little ones out.