Where Did Halloween Come From? at Costume Discounters

For many people Halloween is a time where you dress up in a scary or funny Halloween costume, decorate your house with witches, cobwebs and spiders, and go door-to-door trick or treating for goodies. However, Halloween is much more than just kids getting candy and treats.

All around the world, cities and towns have accepted the concept of trick or treating, which is also called “beggars night” in other parts around the globe. Another normal Halloween practice is dressing up in scary costumes and masks. Still other practices in Halloween include carving pumpkins, scaring people and eating candy. Yet most people are not aware of the real origin of Halloween.

There have been many stories about Halloween; however the origin can be traced back to ancient Celtic times. During that era, an annual festival that the Celtics called Samhain was held each October. This festival was an opportunity for the Celts to make sure everything was finished for the fall and winter, and to take an inventory of the crops that they have harvested. According to Celtic lore, October 31st was the date chosen because this was the final day of harvesting and was also the date when the earth was inhabited by the walking dead. The Celtics also believed that they had to get things settled on this day or else the crops would be ruined by the dead.

These beginnings can also help explain many of the traditions used during the history of Halloween. The Celts would hold bonfires as part of their festivals. These fires would bring out insects, which would in turn be eaten by bats flying in the area. The festival participants would put on masks, paint their faces, and wear costumes as a reminder of the dead. Many of these are common events that are still done today. These include using bat decorations and giving and receiving candy while wearing costumes. The Celtics would also place carved vegetables in their windows which served as a reminder of the dead. Some of the vegetables used were turnips, but eventually the tradition of carving pumpkins can into effect because they were easier to find and carve in North America.

Trick or treating’s origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages. During this time, November 1 was the holiday of Hallowmas and November 2 was All Souls Day. For November 1, that was the day that the poor would exchange promises of prayers on All Souls Day for food by going door to door. In 1900’s stories in newspapers began to be writing telling of small children going out on Halloween night in costumes and receiving treats by singing songs. By the 1930s trick or treating became a usual part of the tradition of Halloween.

While the exact history and origin of Halloween has been the subject of discussion over time, there’s some evidence that several of today’s Halloween traditions can be traced back to Irish immigrants during the late 1800’s. These traditions were brought over from Ireland to the United States, and the traditions that we now know as Halloween began to spread. While the ideas and traditions that were brought over from Ireland have changed over the years, the basic ideas can be seen today. To help understand the origins and traditions of Halloween, we have assembled a number of resources:

Article written by Janice D. McDonald

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Where Did Halloween Come From? All Hallows Eve!