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Halloween Longevity
Halloween is an unusual holiday that has lost much of its original meaning over time, but
retained much of its tradition. To children it is a day to carve faces into pumpkins, and
to dress up as whatever the imagination can conjure up. It is a night for walking the
streets in costume to ask for treats from door to door. It is a holiday of unusual
customs that have endured for centuries despite a lack of understanding of the purpose
from which they are derived.
One of the biggest reasons that Halloween traditions have survived
for so long, is the simple fact that the holiday is fun and mysterious. With candy and
costumes as part of the equation, there is little need to question the purpose of having
fun. Halloween is a holiday of curious practices, but the fun it offers is reason enough
to carry on the tradition.
No matter how fun Halloween may be, there are still those who want to
know where the traditions originated and what they mean. The rest of this article will
explain where the traditions of Halloween came from and why people engaged in such
unusual behaviors in the first place.
The Celtic Origin of Halloween
The traditions of Halloween originated among the Celtics over 2,000 years ago. The
Celtics were group of people who dwelt in the land that is now known as the United
Kingdom. Among the Celts were religious leaders called Druids. The Druids were believed
to have spiritual enlightenment, and the Celtic people looked to them for direction in
life.
For the Celtics, the new year began on November first with a celebration which they
called the feast of Samhain. The night before Samhain (on October 31) had an unusual
significance to the Druids. They believed that on this particular night, the spiritual
and mortal worlds collided. The Druids believed that spirits were able to walk the earth
on that night, in an effort to return to the homes where they lived in mortal life.
Trick or Treat
The tradition that gave rise to trick-or-treating was a Celtic celebration of a bounteous
harvest. The people would go door to door asking for offerings of food to sacrifice to
the Gods to show gratitude for a productive growing season. Although the Celts did not
consume the food they acquired from their neighbors, this tradition eventually grew into
trick-or-treating as it is known today.
Bonfires
The Celts turned to the Druids for protection from the spirits on the night before
Samhain. The Druids built large bonfires on hills and high places, which were believed to
scare off evil spirits. They Celtic people began a tradition of extinguishing the fires
that kept them warm at home. They would later rekindle their fires with an ember from the
Druids’ fires. Putting out the fires also signified the end of the growing season
and the darkness and gloom of winter. Relighting the fires represented protection and
growth that would come in the new year’s growing season. It was believed that a
fire lit from the fires of the Druids would protect them at home.
Carving Faces into Large Round Gourds
In order to transfer the hot embers from the Druids fires to their homes, the Celtics
placed them into large hollowed out gourds (such as squash) or turnips. To further
protect them from the spirits, they carved frightening faces into their gourds, which
could then be seen glowing from the heat of the newly gathered ember.
 Dressing In Costumes
The common belief that spirits roamed the earth on the night before Samhain was enough to
unnerve Celtic people as they went out at night to claim an ember for the fire. It became
tradition to not only bring a frightful looking gourd, but to also dress in scary
costumes. The Celts dressed up in frightening attire, hoping that their appearance would
ward off the spirits as they gathered their embers.
Bobbing for Apples
The Celtic people believed that at this time of close proximity to spirits, it was
possible to receive divinations to predict future events. One tradition that sprang from
this desire to foretell the future was bobbing for apples. According to the Celtic
tradition, apples were placed into a large bucket of water. The people would try to
retrieve an apple by only using their teeth. The first person to successfully bite into
one of the apples was believed to be the next person who would get married.
Roman Christian Influence and Halloween
By the 9th Century A.D., Roman Christianity and influence had permeated much of the
United Kingdom, bringing an evolution to Celtic traditions. The customs and traditions of
the Celts were well established, however, and they would not be easily changed. Pope
Gregory IV saw fit to integrate Celtic traditions into the practices of Christianity,
rather than to denounce them altogether. As a result, the essential traditions of Samhain
were combined with traditions of All Saints Day (a day to honor all of the saints of the
church). Celtic traditions survived in the United Kingdom, although they took on a more
Roman Christian connotation.
Halloween Gets its Name
In time, All Saints Day (which was celebrated on November 1st) took on the additional
name of All Hallows Day. The combination of Celtic and Catholic traditions
continued to hold importance among the people. In time the eventful night of October 31st
became known as “All Hallows Eve.” This name was shortened further by those
who spoke of it frequently to “Hallowe’en.” Ultimately the name of the
holiday evolved into “Halloween” as it is known today.
Jack-O-Lantern
The Celtic carving of gourds evolved into the Jack-O-Lantern, derived from an Irish folk
tale. According to the Irish, Jack was a clever and mischievous soul whose gambling and
selfishness resulted in his being banned from heaven. He had also tricked the devil into
climbing an apple tree and then trapping him in its branches by carving crosses into its
trunk. Jack allowed the Devil to descend from the tree after he promised not to take his
soul to hell when he died. Being too wicked for heaven and too clever for hell, Jack was
forced to walk the earth with a lantern made from a turnip (sound familiar) that was lit
with a glowing coal.
Trick-or-Treat Evolution
The practice of traveling door to door (which eventually became
trick-or-treating) also evolved with Christianity. Rather than asking for food to
sacrifice for a bounteous harvest, they asked for “soul cakes” to honor dead
friends and relatives. The “soul cakes” were accompanied by prayers for their
loved ones to help them to be accepted into heaven.
The Bonfires Continue
Bonfires continued to be lit along with the practice of carrying hollowed gourds to
frighten away spirits. In Ireland, bonfires continue to be lit to this day in the ways of
the Celts. According to legend, the fires scare away spirits and offer magical insight
into future events.
Halloween Comes to America
In the mid 1800’s a large number of Irish immigrants began to settle in America.
Along with these settlers came the Halloween traditions. The ideas behind these
traditions gradually changed as they were introduced among many different cultures in
America.
Many of the old traditions of the Celts and Roman Catholics continued
to be practiced, but the fear of roaming spirits was gradually forgotten in the American
Halloween celebration. Trick-or-treating became a fun way to stock up on treats. Carving
Jack-O-Lanterns with glowing faces became a method of letting trick-or-treaters know that
they were welcome to come to the door for candy. Wearing costumes became a way to take
the identity of a popular character for the night. Yes, much of the original meaning
about Halloween was soon forgotten in America, but most of the fun traditions remained.
The fun and mysterious traditions, whether understood or not, continue to provide
excitement and joy to children and parents alike.
 Read our Halloween ABC Story for kids online. It has Halloween fun from A to Z.
 Try our Pumpkin Carving Templates to to carve a fun, or scary jack-o'-lantern.
 Try our
Halloween Treat: A Family Fun Shop Original Recipe
"Vanilla Moon Crater Cookies"
A plate full of these heavenly full moons will make your halloween an extra sweet
occasion.
Try Our Halloween Word Puzzles
Halloween Spooky Crossword
Puzzle
Beginner Level
Advanced Level
- Article by Wes Fessler
 MORE HOLIDAYS
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Sources:
1. Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, “Halloween”
Volume 12 p. 348
Rand McNally and Company, ISBN 0-8343-0051-6
2. celticmp3s.com, “Halloween Traditions of
Ireland”
http://www.celticmp3s.com/magazine/2004/10/halloween-traditions-of-ireland.shtml
[Accessed 4 July 2007]
3. Halloweenishere.com, “The History of Halloween and Fun
Pumpkin Facts”
http://www.halloweenishere.com/history.html [Accessed 4 July 2007]
4. History.com, “History of Halloween – Ancient
Origins”
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=
Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=713&display_order=1&sub_display_order=1&mini_id=1076
[Accessed 4 July 2007]
5. Robinson, B.A., “Halloween Origins, Customs and
Traditions”
http://www.religioustolerancce.org/hallo_cu.htm [Accessed 4 July 2007]
6. Shenanchie, “All Hallows Eve”
http://shenanchie.tripod.com/AllHallowsEve/index.htm [Accessed 4 July 2007]
7. fisheater.com, “All Hallows Eve”
http://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost12aa.html [Accessed 4 July 2007]
8. Katski, David, “Halloween Traditions, History, and
Autumn Celebrations”
http://www.faithclipart.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/all_hallows_eve.html
[Accessed 4 July 2007]
9. Harris, Tom, “How Halloween Works”
http://people.howstuffworks.com/halloween.htm [Accessed 4 July 2007] |
