A Halloweening Tale

by Laurnie Wilson

It’s that time of year again! The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and everyone’s favorite Holiday is beginning to sparkle just around the corner. It may be a bit presumptuous of us to assume that your favorite holiday is also Halloween, but around here, Halloween is one holiday that is hard to beat!

Naturally, if you’ve been celebrating this beloved tradition all of your life, you probably assume you know just about everything there is to know about it. If you’re so sure, read on! And see if the true history of Halloween surprises you.

A Hallowed Eve

Believe it or not, the history of Halloween stretches back thousands of years, two thousand to be more precise. Back in ancient times, there was a Celtic festival called Samhain. This festival took place on November 1^st and had quite the lead-up.

The night before, people believed that the dead returned as ghosts. Therefore, they offered treats outside of their door to keep the spirits away from them. And, when they left the house on this day, they dressed as ghosts so real ghosts might not suspect them to be humans.

It wasn’t until the 8^th century that the Church adopted this holiday as All Hallows Eve. In the Middle Ages, the tradition continued to evolve. During this time, poor people would go from door to door, begging for soul cakes. In return they would sing, recite poetry, or pray for dead relatives on November 2^nd, All Souls Day.

A Hallowed Hop Across The Pond

So, how did this rather religious tradition make it to our shores? If you guessed immigration, then you’d be 100% correct! In the 1800’s, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these spooky festivities to the U.S.

However, the first record of guising—dressing up in disguise—in the U.S. does not appear until 1911. And the choice phrase of the evening, “Trick or Treat!” is not documented until 1927! So while this holiday may have ancient roots, it’s pretty modern as well.

Treats, Not Tricks

These days, the weeks leading up to October 31^st are full of costume planning and candy eating. In fact, Americans spend about 6 billion dollars on Halloween every year! It’s second only to Christmas in candy consumption.

So if you’re in the market for some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Miniatures, Sour Patch Kids, or anything in between, you’ve come to the right place. Now you can have your candy history and eat it too.

Sources:

• https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-trick-or-treating
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-is-weirder-than-you-thought-79408373/?no-ist
• https://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/production-notes/halloween-should-be-neighborhood-day.html
• https://www.bg-damma.com/stil-na-zhivot/praznitsi/577_Samhain-kraia-na-liatoto-ili-halloween-i-sveteshtata-ryapa
• https://atthecrossroads.org/2014/09/halloween-candy/