The Origin Story of Halloween

This year Halloween falls on a Monday. Halloween is all about crazy costumes and lots of candy. Many people believe that you can only enjoy Halloween if you’re a kid. Yet, as I have got older, I’ve learned to have a greater appreciation for the holiday.

But how did Halloween come about? Is it actually based on real ghost stories?

Halloween originated more than 2,000 years ago in the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland. Since Halloween is the last day in October, it initiates the start of cold weather and winter.

Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival, celebrated the start of the new year which they believe started on November 1st (the first day of winter). Because Halloween is the last day of Summer and the night before winter, they believed it was a gateway for supernatural beings and ghosts.

They celebrated by starting large bonfires. They burned plants and animals as a way of sacrificing to the gods of the Celtics. In addition to sacrifice, they also dressed up, but not in the way we do today. They would wear animal skins and heads. It sounds disturbing, but there were no Spirit Halloweens 2,000 years ago. This was their way of dressing up and pretending to be someone/something else for the night. At the end of the night, they would tell stories and fortunes for the new year.

Not much time later, Rome conquered the Celtic land and traditions started meshing together. The Celtic festival of Samhain combined with Catholic celebrations like Feralia, the passing of the dead, and the honoring of the Roman Goddess Pomona. Overtime, this combination of festivals started to be called All hallows eve, because it was the day before November 1st. Eventually the name Halloween was coined.

Originally, because of the strong influence of the protestant church in New England, Halloween was mostly celebrated in the South. But when the traditions of Europe combined with the traditions of Native Americans, the American version of Halloween was born. People threw parties where you danced, sang, and told spooky stories.

And the rest is history. Although Halloween falls on a Monday this year, there will still be enough fun to go around. Whether that’s trick or treating, going to a haunted house, staying in and watching scary movies, or going to a Halloween themed party, Halloween has been a holiday for everyone for over 2,000 years.

Also Read: Ways To Celebrate Fall.