Halloween: That supernatural time of year when ghosts, goblins, and every conceivable celebrity look-alike gather at your doors, demanding you give them candy. But have you ever thought about where these creepy customs actually originated? The Peak has the story behind some of Halloween’s longest-standing — and spookiest — traditions.
All Hallow’s Eve
Over 2000 years ago, the Celts began the festival of Samhain on October 31 to celebrate the New Year (which, according to their calendars, came on November 1). They believed that on this night, the line between the worlds of the living and the dead were the thinnest.
Ghosts, demons, and all manner of the dead were thought to walk among and mingle with the living on this special occasion. The Celts celebrated with bonfires and sacrifices to satisfy the otherworldly beings, and to protect the living from close encounters with these unwelcome guests.
Halloween has gone through many transformations in its lifetime. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated All Saints’ Day on November 1, in an effort to celebrate the good in the world after the evil of the previous day. The name Halloween is actually a contraction of All Hallow’s Evening, since it’s celebrated on the eve of Gregory’s saintly holiday.
Since then, the religious aspects of October 31 have gradually fallen aside, and made way for the modern, relatively family-friendly events we know now. You’re still likely to see ghosts and ghouls roaming around during the day, but most of them will probably be kids in plastic costumes.
Black Cats
Each year on October 31, if a black cat crosses your path, you’re likely to view it as an unwelcome omen of bad luck. So, why are you scared of that cute kitty you’d lovingly embrace any other day of the year?
Back when poor old ladies were being accused of witchcraft on a much-too-often basis, their cats were called their demonic sidekicks, or their “familiars.” Some even accused cats of being the devil incarnate, come to Earth in feline form to socialize with the sorceresses. Suffice it to say that black cats have been affiliated with evil since day one, and most often in relation to Halloween.
Supposedly, if a witch becomes human, her black cat will no longer be by her side. However, in the olden days, when an accused witch was killed, her cat often was as well. In any case, it’s probably best to avoid adorable black kittens on Halloween night — just to be safe.
Jack-O-Lanterns
Carving scary, funny, or just plain weird faces into pumpkins is one of October’s best-loved traditions. Pumpkin carving has its roots in an old Celtic folk legend of a man named Stingy Jack, who was banished from heaven and hell after tricking the devil. Wandering lost and alone in purgatory, he fashioned himself a lantern from a lump of coal inside a turnip to light his way.
The Celts then began to place their own lit-up turnips outside of their homes to guide lost spirits like Jack — however, they’d carve scary faces on them to dissuade the spirits from coming too close. When the potato famine forced many to immigrate to North America, the tradition travelled with them. However, turnips were less common in their new home, so pumpkins were introduced as a replacement, and a new tradition was born.
Trick-or-Treating
Children will be the first to tell you the most important part of Halloween is, without a doubt, collecting candy door to door (it’s a hard point to argue). This tradition first began in a much different form in Europe, during the ninth century. Children and poor people would travel from town to town on Halloween night, asking for “soul cakes,” which are small biscuits made with nutmeg and ginger. In return for the cakes, they would offer prayers for the generous givers’ dead relatives.
The more soul cakes given, the more prayers the dead relatives would receive from the beggars. As time progressed, the tradition of going door to door lost its religious aspects, and children began collecting candy instead of baked goods. Today, most trick-or-treating takes place between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. Make sure to stock up on those chocolate bars!
Dressing Up
Collecting sugary treats was not always the reason for dressing up on Halloween. Today, it is one of the biggest consumer-based holidays, with parents spending an average of $1 billion on kids’ costumes for this scary night. However, costumes come from much humbler origins.
The practice of dressing up for this special occasion developed from the Celtic tradition of disguising oneself as an evil spirit, so that when the demons check their calendars and decide it’s time to roam the Earth, they simply mistake you for one of their own and pass by. Given that this was done in an effort to survive the night, it may not have been quite as much fun as it is now.
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Halloween is a popular holiday around the world, and carries with it many varied traditions and histories. Whether you’re watching your favourite horror flick, going door-to-door with a younger sibling, hitting up a costume party or carving the perfect pumpkin, everyone can find some enjoyment on this frightful night. Happy Halloween!
