History of Halloween

On October 31st the traditional celebration of Halloween is held. Most people look at Halloween as an excuse to wear costumes, have parties, watch horror films, visit haunted houses (or set up their own) and conduct other events around the themes of ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves or the supernatural. Of course most of us are aware of the delight children take, wearing costumes and going door to door in their neighbourhoods, collecting gifts and candies, following the old tradition of trick or treat.

Halloween began as an ancient Celtic festival in Great Britain and Ireland, and has survived most avidly among Irish, Scottish and Welsh communities. Immigrants from these communities carried the tradition to North America where it has gained in popularity. In turn, as part of American pop culture, Halloween has spread in popularity to most corners of the English speaking western world, and increasingly into Western Europe in recent times.

Originally Halloween was a pagan festival, revolving around the idea of linking the living with the dead. It is when contact became possible between the spirits and the physical world and magical things were more likely to happen. Like most pagan festivals, long ago it was absorbed into the festivals of the expanding Christian church, and became associated with All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day. All Saints Day eventually fell on November 1 under the Gregorian calendar. A vigil for this Christian festival was held on All Hallows Evening which is October 31. In the vernacular of the times, All Hallows Evening became Hallowe'en and later the Halloween we know today.

The celebration of Halloween survived most stalwartly in Ireland. It was an end of the summer festival, and was often celebrated in each community with a bonfire to ward off the evil spirits. Children would go from door to door, in disguise, as creatures from the underworld to collect treats, mainly fruit, nuts and similar for the festivities. These were used for playing traditional games like eating an apple on a string or the familiar bobbing for apples and other gifts in a basin of water, without using your hands. Salt might be sprinkled on the visiting children to ward off evil spirits. Carving turnips into ghoulish faces to hold candles became a popular part of the festival. In America this has been adapted to carving pumpkins into scary faces.

The trick aspect to trick or treating as it emerged in North America seems to have more obscure origins. It may be a merging of the collection of treats with another separate old tradition, especially in Ireland, where children would sometimes engage in secretive mischief at Halloween. The original intention was for the activities of mischievous Halloween spirits to be blamed. Usually the mischief consisted of playing some minor or witty tricks on some adults-often the less popular ones-things like moving or hiding everyday items during Halloween night. In Scotland and England the tradition of singing or other entertainment in return for the treats collected was more common than the threat of a trick if nothing was given.

In the past a prank may have resulted from a refusal to hand out a treat to a youth. A lot of times it was not in the spirit of fun and could get downright messy. Throwing eggs or flour at a house was common. Soaping windows or other mischievous deeds could occur. Today the trick part of trick or treat survives but hopefully it is more in fun and tradition than anything else. Usually it is not a real threat.

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