The Origins Of Halloween

Whatever you choose to call it, Halloween, Samhain (pronounced “Sow-in”), Shadowfest, Martinmas, All Hallows’ Eve,  or Old Hallowmas, the end of October brings this unique holiday each year.  All of these festivals honor those who have departed this life before us.  With so many traditional ways to observe this time of year; Carving pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns, Trick-Or-Treating, and dressing up in costumes…  Have you ever wondered how these traditions came to be?  The answers may surprise you.

From the Western Christian Feast of All Hallows (celebrated on November 1st), the word Halloween (first used in 1556) is a contraction meaning All Hallows’ Evening (or the night before All Hallows’ Day).  The word itself may be Christian, but the Holiday has Pagan roots (as do other Christian Holidays).  Folklorists have determined origins dating back to the Roman Feast of Pomona (the goddess of fruits and seeds), and the Festival of the Dead (Parentalia). 

The Festival of Samhain (Celtic) celebrates the end of the Summer season, and preparing for the cold months to come.  There is also a sense that the “veil” between Earth and the afterworld is thinnest at this time.  It is believed that this makes magical things possible during this time of year, and that the souls of the dead revisit their homes on Samhain Eve.  Celts believed that the presence of otherworld spirits made it easier for Celtic priests to make predictions about the future.  Completely dependent on the volatile natural world, these predictions and prophecies gave them a comfort during the long winter months ahead.  During this time, it was also traditional for Druids to build bonfires to ward off ghosts.  The Celts would dress up in costumes made mainly from animal heads and skins as they burnt crops and animals in sacrifice to the Celtic deities.

The Christian Holy Day of All Saints Day, a day to honor all of the saints and to pray for the recently departed, originated in Europe, On May 13, 609AD, Pope Boniface IV proclaimed All Martyrs’ Day in the Western Church.  Later, Pope Gregory III (731-741AD) expanded the festival to include all Saints as well as Martyrs, and moved the celebration to November 1st.  In 1000AD, the Church would make November 2nd All Souls’ Day to honor all of the dead.   The night before these days came to be called All Hallows Eve, but was also referred to as Hallowtide or Hallowmas.  Eventually this evolved into what we now know as Halloween.  It was not until the 12th Century that these days became Holy Days of obligation across Europe.  Traditions included ringing bells for the souls in Purgatory, and baking bread or “Soul Cakes”.  It was believed that the souls of the departed wandered the Earth until All Saints Day and that all Hallows’ Eve was their last chance to seek revenge on their enemies before moving to the next world.  Christians would wear masks to avoid being recognized by a spirit looking for revenge.

Early North Americans (typically Puritans) remained strongly opposed to the celebration of the Holiday.  It was not until the Irish and Scottish immigration during the 19th century that the Holiday was acknowledged, and it grew in popularity during the first decade of the 20th century. 

The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns stems from the Celtic custom of hollowing out turnips and carving them into lanterns during Samhain to protect against the souls that were being held in Purgatory.  Remember, they believed that these souls had one night left to enact vengeance upon their enemies before crossing over to the afterlife.  Once in North America, it was realized that pumpkins were softer and easier to carve.

Trick or Treating began as an idle threat by children to perform mischief (i.e. sing a song or tell a ghost story) to earn a treat.  Dressing in costume and going door to door comes from the medieval tradition of “Souling”, in which the poor folk would visit homes, receiving food in return for prayers for the recently departed.  This was common in Ireland and Britain, but there was a similar practice in Italy, as mentioned in Shakespeare’s comedy “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”.  Written in 1593, the passage refers to “puling (whining) like a beggar at Hallowmas.” 

It was in the late 1800s that Americans moved to make Halloween a more community-focused holiday, and because of this, all religious and superstitious overtones were lost.   It is estimated that Americans spend over $6 Billion on Halloween every year, making it the second largest commercial holiday in the Country today.