Shana Okayama
Halloween, 31st of October is a popular holiday that consists of trick or treating and celebration. But have you ever thought of how Halloween all started? The tradition at the end of October started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. People would light bonfires and candles and wear costumes to scare off any evil spirits of ghosts.
October marks the end of summer and harvest and the transition of winter, the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was mainly associated with death. The Celts believed that the night before the new year, the fine line between the worlds of death and living became blurred, causing all the death during the winter. On the night of October 31st the Celts celebrated Samhain, they believed that that was the night the ghosts of the dead returned to earth to haunt people. Therefore, the festival of Samhain was to scare off any ghosts or evil spirits that choose to return to their village. The Celts would dress up as monsters or hunters to scare off spirits
Additionally, as the winter caused trouble and damaged crops, the Celts thought that the presence of deadly spirits made it easier for the Celtic or Druid priest to make predictions about individual people and the future of the village. Many people believed and were very dependent on the volatile natural spirits and world. These prophecies were important for people to find comfort in knowing their future during the long dark winter. During the Samhain festival, they made big bonfires and burned crops, offerings and sacrifices to the spirits so they could read their future for the winter ahead. During these rituals, people would dress up using animal furs, heads and bones.
Soon after, All Saints Dat incorporated some traditions of Samhain. The evening was known as the day before the winter which was “All Hallows Eve” and later modernised to Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of fun and celebrations to do activities such as trick or treating, carving of jack o lanterns, festive gathers, dressing up in costumes and eating sweets, mainly a celebration children take part in. To wrap this up, Halloween started as a ritual of scaring off demons, and the dead from returning and haunting villages to a harmless celebration of sweets and fun activities.
Source
https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#:~:text=The%20tradition%20originated%20with%20the,costumes%20to%
20ward%20off%20ghosts.&text=Over%2time%2C%20Halloween%20evolved%20into,
donning%20costumes%20and%20eating%20treats.
Shana Okayama