From Samhain to Spooky Nights: The Evolution of Halloween Traditions

Halloween as it is referred to is celebrated every 31st of October and is rich in cultural history revealing the Celtic festival called the Samhain. These Celtic people who inhabited the geographical regions that today make up Ireland, the United Kingdom, and a part of France, about 2,000 years ago used to mark 1st November as the first day of the new year. This date regarded the finalizing of the harvest and the beginning of the winter period, which is connected with death. The Celts also considered nighttime for the spirits of the dead to roam the earth on the last day of the year. People burned fires and wore costumes during this event to be safe from such spirits.

Around the 8th century, Pope Gregory III decided to introduce a new feast to Christians; the festival of All Saints celebrated on 1st November. This celebration incorporated parts of the Samhain, and the evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve but later was shortened to Halloween. However, it is from the blending of early Christian festivals and post-Christian pagan holidays that the current holiday was formed.

The traditions of Halloween that Europeans brought with them to America were numerous. Halloween became a community event in America by the end of the 19th century to involve parties, games, and social functions. Trick or treating originated as children went from door to door asking for food, and money, this was a European practice.

That is why jack-o’-lanterns were created: in Ireland, pumpkins have been replaced with turnips, and people carved frightening faces on them. Having arrived in America the pumpkins were more plentiful and easier to carve, giving eventual birth to a modern jack-o’-lantern.

Today, Halloween is associated with practices, such as trick or treating, wearing costumes, holding parties, and carving Jack O’ lanterns. While it is enjoyed largely in its secular form, one can also see the way that the ancient origins of the holiday are present in modern society’s enjoyment of it.

References

History.com Editors. (2024, October 29). Halloween: Origins, meaning & traditions. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Vaughan, D. (n.d.). Why do we celebrate Halloween? Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-celebrate-halloween

Thomas, H. (2021, October 26). The origins of Halloween traditions. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/