The History of Halloween - How it All Started
Halloween is a popular American festival that takes place on October 31st. This festival is known for its spooky vibes and fear-provoking ambiance. While it is one way for people to have fun and enjoy doing pranks and tricks, the origin of this festival was not for fun purposes at all. So here’s how it all started:
The Origins of the Festival
Before it was known as Halloween, there was an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain – pronounced as Sow-in. That festival used to be celebrated by the Celts 2,000 years ago where they live in the areas that are now Ireland, Northern France, and the United Kingdom. According to the Celtic calendar, November 1 marks the beginning of a new year.
It also marked the beginning of the cold seasons of the year which they used to call as the dark half of the year. They often associated that time with death and darkness as they believed that on that specific night, the boundary between the living and the dead worlds become wear thin that ghosts might enter into the real world. For that reason, people started wearing spooky costumes as a way to ward off ghosts and evil spirits. It was also their way in tricking the ghosts into believing they were evil creatures as well.
Where the Name “Halloween” Comes From?
Samhain Festival was actually more popular during the times of paganism; however, it is still celebrated in some regions around Ireland and Scotland. With the arrival of Christianity, some pagan festivals carried on, but they become a bit washed with a Christian influence.
The word Halloween is of a Christian origin and it means All Saints’ Evening; it is a day in the Christian year that is dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful who departed our world.
The Relation between Pumpkins & Halloween
Traditionally, turnips were used for carving to scare off the evil spirits. However, immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837] and was originally associated with harvest time in general. It wasn’t until the mid-to-late 19th century that it has become specifically associated with Halloween.
