The history of Halloween
- Matia Hosack
- Oct 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 30
Halloween is a holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world and is known for its festive, spooky spirit. However, it wasn’t always like this. A long time ago, Halloween was an extremely different holiday.
This celebration originated from the Celtic festival, Samhain. Celtic people lived in Ireland, Scotland, and Northern France about 2,000 years ago, and were known for their revolt against the Romans in 61 CE and for being the largest group in ancient Europe. The Celtic people were polytheistic and heavily believed in spirits and ghostly beings. One of their ancient beliefs was that the year was divided into two parts, the light half (the summer) and the dark half (winter). They believed that the border, or division, between these two halves of the year was at its slightest; and spirits were able to pass through to the living world. They created a festival at this partition and called it Samhain.
Celtic people believed that by wearing costumes, masks, or animal skins, they could ward off any evil spirits. The banshee, for example, was translated from “bein sidhe” which meant “fairy woman” in Irish. The banshee would shriek at night and it was believed that hearing her cry was a sign of immediate death. With banshees and many more dangerous beasts wandering around, you can see why people would disguise themselves. However, monsters were not the only spirits that would come out at night. Celtic people also believed that dead ancestors and family members would come out during Samhain. Instead of hiding from them, families would prepare food for the dead and gather near the communal bonfire at night.
In 835, the Roman Catholic church started to change Samhain to All Saints Day or Allhallowmas on November 1st, and later they added All Soul’s day on November 2nd. All Saints Day was a Christain holiday created to honour saints (someone who lived a good, faithful life, and was believed to have ascended to heaven). Although the name was officially changed to Allhallows Eve, Samhain traditions were not completely forgotten and still make up a large part of Halloween celebrations.
Samhain and Halloween traditions developed in the UK and Ireland for ages and the holiday survived years of war and political change. Of course, the traditions did vary quite a bit from their origins. Around the 18 to 1900’s, children dressed in simple costumes and would head over to their neighbors' houses and give a small performance. This could be a song, joke or some cool trick they knew. In return, they would be given some sort of small treat. Halloween then was a much smaller, less expensive celebration, but it had its charm and was a very community-oriented holiday.
These traditions only made it to the Americas and the rest of the world due to the Irish potato famine in the 1800s. In America, Halloween became a much more commercial holiday. We mostly know it as a time to stock up on free candy and run around with our friends in the dark. What’s interesting about this holiday is the different ways it has developed around the world.
Back in Britain, for example, Halloween is more about the costumes rather than trick-or-treating. Of course, in some areas children still spend the night collecting candy, but the main focus is having a great and elaborate costume. In Japan, there is also little, or no trick-or-treating, and the focus is once again on the costumes. Teens and young adults spend their Halloween parading around in costume and laughing with friends. France however, has put a very different spin on Halloween traditions. Around the time of Halloween, French people are already getting ready for All Saints day, so the two holidays have never really combined well and now it is not majorly celebrated.
As everyone knows, Dia de Los Muertos is another holiday, mainly celebrated in South America. Ages before Halloween arrived in the Americas, Aztec people celebrated deceased ancestors on a summer holiday. When the Spanish Catholics began colonizing the area, they brought over All Saints and All Soul’s day. These were mashed together to form Dia de Los Muertos which spread throughout Latin America as well.
Dia de Los Muertos is a holiday created to celebrate living and deceased ancestors. Families often get together and set out food that their friends and family enjoyed while they were still living. Immigration from Mexico, magazines, and television introduced Halloween to Mexico, but so far they haven't combined much. Of course, it differs in areas, and some places in Mexico and the US may celebrate the other holidays more or less than others. For example, in the US, we see sugar skulls in shops around Halloween or Dia De Los Muertos, and in Mexico, children might go trick-or-treating in downtown areas as well.
The world is large, and holidays and traditions are often warped or edited to fit different cultures. Even though we may not celebrate Halloween with animal skins like the Celtics, or by leaving out food for the deceased like they do on Dia De Los Muertos. Halloween, no matter how or where it is celebrated, has a fascinating history and proves that some traditions can span continents.
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