The History of Halloween

 

It’s official: The leaves are falling, the scent of pumpkin spice lattes is in the air, and as we speak, Linus is busy writing his yearly letter to the Great Pumpkin. So what does this all mean, you ask? Simple: Halloween is upon us! Yes, folks, it’s that time of year again when bulk packages of candy get ridiculously cheap and pumpkins rule our decor. But in all seriousness, there’s more to Halloween than just candy and jack-o-lanterns. In fact, the history of Halloween is a rich and vivid one — one that spans centuries and cultures. So sit back and relax as we explore the history of Halloween together!

Halloween originated 2,000 years ago as part of a Celtic festival in Ireland. The harvest festival, known as Samhain, was part of their winter holiday, the biggest holiday of the year. The Celtic people celebrated four major holidays every year as a way to mark the seasons, Samhain occurring on November 1. However, the festival wasn’t all about harvesting. The Celts believed that during the night before Samhain (October 31), ghosts returned to the living world while the spirits of those who passed away traveled to the spirit world. Unlike Casper, though, the returning Celtic ghosts were not friendly.

Because the Celts were afraid of the ghosts, they would partake in rituals on October 31 to keep the ghosts away. These rituals included “leaving food and wine at their doorsteps to keep roaming spirits at bay and wear[ing] masks when they left the house so they would be mistaken for fellow ghosts.” However, as much as this resembles elements of Halloween, it didn’t become closer to what we know it as today until the 8^th century when Christians were trying to spread Christianity to the Celts. Trying to eradicate any form of paganism, the Christian church renamed Samhain “All Saints Day” — a day dedicated to celebrating martyrs and saints. Later, All Saints Day came to be known as All Hallows. The night before All Hallows then became known as All Hallows Eve, which was later shortened to…Halloween!

But what about the most important part of Halloween: trick-or-treating? In the medieval times, trick-or-treating was known as “guising.” Children would go door-to-door wearing costumes, but instead of knocking on the door and shouting “trick or treat,” children would recite poetry, tell jokes, or sing. As their treat, children would receive wine, money, and food among other valuable items. In the 19^th century, immigrants from Ireland and Scotland brought the tradition of guising to America, where it eventually came to be known as trick-or-treating.

Today, other countries around the world celebrate different forms of Halloween. For example, every August, Buddhists in Japan celebrate the Festival of the Dead, which is also known as the Obon festival, or more commonly, the Festival of Lanterns. This festival resembles the Samhain festival because the Buddhists believe that during the Obon festival, the ghosts leave their spirit world to roam the living world. However, unlike the ghosts in the Samhain festival, these ghosts are nice. In fact, it is believed that these ghosts are actually deceased ancestors coming to visit their loved ones. To help guide their ancestors to their home, “families light paper lanterns and hang them in front of their houses.” After the festival is over, the families help guide their ancestors back to the spirit world by placing paper lanterns and lighted candles in the river as guides. As the lanterns and candles float out to sea, the ancestors are guided back to the afterlife.

In Cambodia, there is a Buddhist celebration that more closely resembles the All Saints Day because it honors monks and their ancestors. The celebration, which typically occurs in September, is called Pak Ben and lasts 14 days. Much like the previous festivals, a main component of the celebration involves Buddhists “prepar[ing] offerings of food and gifts to the monks living in the local pagoda and to their ancestors.” This celebration also believes in the idea of ancestors roaming the earth. In addition to leaving plated food for ancestors in front of temples and pagodas, rice is scattered on the ground in front of pagodas for spirits who do not have any living ancestors to honor their memory. The festival concludes on the 15^th day with P’chum Ben, the Festival of the Dead. It is during this day that special treats are offered, like “sweet sticky rice and bean treats wrapped in banana leaves.”

As we’ve learned, the concept of Halloween varies across cultures. Even so, there’s still this universal sense of togetherness. Whether it’s trick-or-treating in America or honoring loved ones in Japan and Cambodia, Halloween brings friends and families together. And that’s something that will continue throughout history.