History of Halloween
Those of us lacking in a touch of ghastly spirit may feel that Halloween is a rather overstated festivity. But most of us relish in the night when children and adults dress as witches, ghouls, goblins and countless other creatures, and wander in search of treats and good devilish fun! However, the thirty-first day of October has a much different meaning today than it once did.
When did it all begin?
Centuries ago, the Celts believed that on the 31st October the line between the living and the dead became distorted and condemned souls would roam the world looking to hurt people, destroy their crops and potentially find bodies to possess. So villagers would put out their fires, dress up in ghoulish costumes and make lots of noise to scare the spirits away!
On the 1st November (All Saints Day), people prayed for all souls who had departed or were stuck in Purgatory. Traditionally, the Celts lit bonfires and wore animal skins and animal heads, as they sacrificed animals and crops in the hopes of protection.
Behind the name
Halloween, or the Irish name Hallow E'en, is short for All Hallows Eve, the night before 'All Hallows', or 'All Saints', or 'All Souls' Day, which occurs on the 1st November each year. In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'bless'. Roman Catholics used to honour all Saints on All Hallows Day. This day was once one of the most solemn and important ceremonies of the Church year.
Jack O Lanterns
In Ireland children used to carve out turnips and light them at Halloween. They were displayed in remembrance of Jack, a devious Irishman so wicked that neither God nor the Devil wanted him. Rejected by both Heaven and Hell, Jack roamed the world endlessly looking for a place to rest, a glowing candle in a rotten turnip his only warmth.
The Irish Potato Famine in the nineteenth century drove over 700,000 people to immigrate to America. These immigrants continued their traditions of Halloween and Jack O' Lanterns, but turnips were not as plentiful as back in Ireland. Enter the American pumpkin! This was found to be an ideal substitute, and nowadays, the carved pumpkin is possibly the most famous icon of Halloween.
Trick or Treat
Trick-or-treating came from a ninth century European custom called 'souling. On All Souls Day, poor folk would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes made from bread and currants. In exchange they would offer prayers for the dead, believing it would quicken a soul's entry to heaven. The more cakes received, the more prayers offered.
Trick-or-treating did not become common in the U.S. until the 1930s, and the first mention in a national publication occurred later in 1939. However, western countries, including England have only adopted the idea of trick-or-treating since the 1980s.
Halloween costumes
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the basic Halloween costume was that of a ghost, simple, easy to make and reusable! Not surprisingly, people started to get a little bored with the classic sheet trick so they began to experiment, dressing in whatever they had lying about the house, using old clothes, hats, shoes and rags to form a better costume. Companies noted the new fad and started producing basic costumes to be sold at local stores.
These days we have so much choice in styles of Halloween costumes, masks and accessories; manufacturers are eager to please and anything goes, so the consumer is able to buy virtually whatever he wants!
We have very different beliefs today than the Romans and Celts did years ago; the fear of the rising dead is not the threat it once was, thank goodness!
As autumn approaches, pumpkins glow in windows and on pavements. Countless youths in distinctive costumes wander the streets knocking on doors, and Halloween parties are more common now than ever! Needless to say, a sinister story, an unexplained event, or haunting legend is always a welcomed tale to be shared on the 31st October. So if you find yourself invited to a Halloween party, keep to tradition and dress in a costume; the ghastlier the better, but above all, have a spooktacular time!
