Haunting History: Halloween’s Origins

Trick-or-treating, dressing up, and eating way too much candy are all traditional activities commonly associated with Halloween: the adored October holiday. No matter what activities you participate in on Halloween, everyone seems to celebrate this holiday in some form. It is a well-known favorite throughout America, but most people only know Halloween in its modern form. 

Just like other holidays, Halloween has developed significantly over time, and many fans of this holiday would be shocked to discover its origins. In just a few paragraphs, we’ll get to discover how Halloween truly came to be, plus how it has developed into the holiday we all know and love. 

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Halloween’s Origins

The start of Halloween dates back 2,000 years ago on the same day Halloween is celebrated now. Back then, the 31st marked the date of a special festival for the Celts known as the festival of Samhain, an event held the night before their new year. The Celts believed that on this night, the boundary between the dead and the living became obscure. They believed the ghosts of the dead returned to earth on that very night every year. 

At the festival of Samhain, the Celts built large sacred bonfires used for animal and crop sacrifices in order to prophesize the future. They wore costumes made of animal skins and danced around the fire as they made attempts to tell each other’s fortunes. Later, Christianity spread into the Celtic regions, and the church made November 2nd All Souls’ Day, a day to pay respect to the dead. Most believe the church created All Souls’ Day to replace the Celtic festival, just like how many holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, were created. Much like the festival of Samhain, they created huge bonfires, hosted parades, and dressed up in costumes such as angels, devils, and saints. All Souls’ Day was also known as All-hallows or All-hallowmas, and the night before gained the name All-Hallows Eve, which eventually turned into the name we all know and love: Halloween. 

Halloween Travels to America

The celebration of Halloween was very limited in early colonial America because of strict protestant beliefs. Halloween was mostly celebrated in Maryland and other southern colonies, but it eventually spread throughout the colonies when beliefs of European groups and American Natives merged, creating an authentic American version of Halloween. 

The first celebrations of Halloween were known as “play parties.” In order to celebrate the harvest, people would share stories of the dead, sing and dance, and even tell each other’s fortunes, modeling many behaviors that derived from the festival of Samhain. These events also harbored many so-called mischievous activities at the time, such as the telling of ghost stories. By the time these festivities became popular, it was during the early 19th century, and although Halloween was gaining recognition, it still wasn’t celebrated throughout the entire nation. It wasn't until the second half of the 19th century that Halloween was recognized across all of America, and it was due mostly to immigrants, particularly those of Irish origin, influencing Halloween and making it much more popular. 

Where Did Trick-or-Treating Come From? 

Trick-or-Treating is actually a tradition taken from European practices, but it wasn’t always the activity we all participate in today. Americans used to dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for food or money, which eventually developed into candy. Another common tradition during that time was a silly act performed by young girls. They believed they could divine the name of their future husbands by doing tricks with yarn or mirrors, a remarkable similarity to the egg-yolk trick that led to the Salem Witch Trials. 

By the late 1800s, there was a push for Halloween to be more about community and spending time with your family rather than the devilish themes of the past. Trick-or-treating was one of the many things that came out of this sought-after change, and Halloween parties were also born during this time. Because of the efforts made by community leaders, Halloween was no longer based on grotesque or terrifying images. In fact, Halloween had lost most of its superstitions and religious influence by the 20th century, causing Halloween to develop into the holiday it is today.  

Celebrating Halloween in Today’s Times

Halloween is now mostly celebrated through trick-or-treating, parties, and scary movies. It's crazy to think it was all influenced by the long-lost traditions of the Celts, created nearly 2,000 years ago. Now that you know where Halloween truly came from, maybe the next time you trick-or-treat, you’ll catch yourself thinking about the festival of Samhain or All-Hallows Eve. You may even start to recognize the old traditions in some of the modern ones. No matter what, you can definitely use this information to your advantage. Who knows what you’ll be doing next Halloween? You might just become the trivia champion when your friend surprises you with questions on the history of this highly entertaining holiday.