Halloween is the holiday of orange hues and scary faces on October 31. It’s that fateful day kids walk to strangers’ doorsteps asking for candy and watching bloody movies. For others, going to the pumpkin patch and partying is another choice. I always wondered where these traditions came from and how the festivities originated.
One of the pronounced aspects of Halloween is the attention to costume. The first known tradition to dress up in costumes relating to Halloween were worn by ancient Celts of Ireland, during the celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-wen), marked the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest and also was the night where creatures entered the mortal world, and to ward off these evil spirits and tell fortunes, they dressed up in skins and animal heads.
As these customs and beliefs were spread, especially influenced by the Catholic Church, Halloween became westernized and now playful and creative costumes are an annual showcase and modern costumes often referencing characters of cinema.
The pumpkin is the main symbol of the Halloween season, but did you know that it started with carving scary faces into beets and most commonly turnips that were placed by windows and doors to scare off evil spirits.
By doing this, the year’s harvest and crops would be protected from wandering spirits including that of Stingy Jack, an Irish legend in which a miserable man tricked the devil into offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. During the time of his death, Stingy Jack was left with a single, glowing carved turnip.
Historically, Halloween’s first traditions were based on superstitions of the Roman Gods and interpreted by the Celtics as “All Hallows Eve,” then advanced into what we know as Halloween.The name originated from the Catholic church that adopted the same practices, but named November 1st as “All Saints Day”, the day to pray for the souls who are dead.
Halloween is now celebrated around the world in countries such as Japan, Germany, and China. Starting from spiritualistic rituals and moving across countries, Halloween has undergone a fascinating transformation.
Sources:
- History-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins “How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth”
- The-legend-of-stingy-jack “The Legend of Stingy Jack”
