History Lesson Tuesdays: Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The Dark Origins of the Holiday.
Your favorite spooky traditions had to start somewhere
by Caroline Picard and Lizz Schumer
If you think Halloween is a uniquely American tradition, grab a mini Snickers and settle in, because you've got some learning to do. Dressing up in a creative costume, traipsing around in the gathering dusk to collect the best candy or throwing a monster bash with friends are all time-honored holiday traditions. But Halloween didn't start stateside at all.
In fact, the origins of Halloween go back thousands of years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced "sow-win"), a festival that marked the end of the harvest season and ushered in a new year. During Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thought to be especially thin, so people could communicate with loved ones who had passed on.
Whether or not you buy into the supernatural, it's still fun to learn a little something about the meaning behind your favorite Halloween traditions before you head out trick-or-treating. Turns out, the holiday has a much more interesting (and sometimes even spookier!) backstory than many people realize. Travel back in time with us to learn what some of the very first celebrations of Halloween looked like, including throwback ghoulies and ghosties, what people used to carve in place of pumpkins and even the elements that Valentine's Day and Halloween have in common. We can guarantee there wasn't a glitter pumpkin or superhero costume in sight.
Who Celebrated Halloween First?
Most scholars agree that Halloween originated around 2,000 years ago, when Celtic people in Europe celebrated the end of the harvest and the start of a new year in a festival called Samhain. People also believed they could commune with the dead more easily during that time, lighting bonfires to ward off ill-intentioned spirits, according to the American Folklife Center.
Halloween Has a Dark Spiritual History
The Celts also believed that the spiritual communication on Samhain made it easier for Celtic priests, or druids, to predict the future, according to History. To appease the deities, they built bonfires and sacrificed crops and animals. Villagers also attended the bonfire ceremonies wearing animal heads and skins, which may be where the tradition of Halloween costumes first came from.
Bats are a Halloween Symbol
Nowadays, many of us associate bats with Halloween — and that has historical roots, too. The Druids' Samhain bonfires attracted bugs which, in turn, tempted bats to a tasty feast. In later years, various folklore emerged citing bats as harbingers of death or doom. In Nova Scotian mythology, a bat settling in a house means a man in the family will die. If it flies around and tries to escape, a woman in the family will perish instead.
Romans Had Their Own Fall Festivals
The Romans conquered most Celtic territory by 43 A.D. and brought their culture's fall festivals with them, according to History. A Roman October celebration called Feralia also commemorated the passing of the dead. Another holiday, Pomona, honored the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. That's one reason people often bob for apples during Halloween parties.
Christians Are Behind Why Halloween Is on October 31
Fast forward a few centuries, and the festivals that would become Halloween had evolved. Several Christian popes attempted to replace "pagan" holidays like Samhain with their own religious observances. By 1000 A.D., All Souls' Day on November 2 served as a time for the living to pray for the souls of the dead. All Saints' Day, or All Hallows, honored the saints on November 1. That made October 31 All Hallows Eve, which later became Halloween.
The British Set Out Ghostly Gifts
Despite the new religious focus, people in Old England and Ireland continued to associate the end of October with the dead wandering among us. They set out gifts of food to satisfy hungry spirits, and as time wore on, people began dressing in creepy costumes to go begging for the treats themselves. The practice was called "mumming," and looked similar to today's trick-or-treating.
The Southern Colonies Brought it Stateside
The first Halloween-like festivities in America started in the southern colonies. People began to celebrate the harvest, swap ghost stories and even tell each other's fortunes, traditions that they probably brought with them from their countries of origin.
Women Bobbed for Apples (and Husbands)
In the 1700s and 1800s, unmarried women performed rituals on Halloween in hopes of finding a husband. Single ladies used to throw apple peels over their shoulders, hoping to see their future husband’s initials in the shapes they made where they fell. They also competitively bobbed for apples at parties, believing the winner would marry first. And in a ritual that sounds downright creepy, some thought standing in a dark room with a candle in front of a mirror would make their future husband's face appear in the glass. Blood Mary, anyone?
The Irish Introduced Jack-o'-Lanterns
The holiday we celebrate as Halloween today really started taking off in the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century, when a wave of Irish immigrants left their country during the potato famine. The newcomers brought their own superstitions and customs, including the jack-o'-lantern. But back then, they carved them out of turnips, potatoes and beets instead of pumpkins.
Halloween Focuses on Treats Today
By the end of the 1800s, more communities were partaking in a more secular (and safer) set of rituals. People started holding parties that included harmless Halloween games, fall seasonal treats and fun costumes over witchcraft and mischievous troublemaking.
Americans Spend a Lot on Candy
Trick-or-treating skyrocketed in popularity by the 1950s, when Halloween became a true national event. Today, over 179 million Americans celebrate the holiday — and spend about $9.1 billion annually in the process, according to the National Retail Federation. That's a lot of miniature candy bars!
Halloween Is Not a Federal Holiday
While Halloween is lots of people's favorite holiday, the day isn't a federal holiday. Despite all of the festivities that happen in the evening, it's still a work day and most businesses and banks follow their regular hours. So if you're rushing home to answer your doorbell, you're certainly not the only one.
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