The cool breeze with leaves falling and daylight being consumed by darkness earlier can only mean one thing, fall is upon us. With that comes all the fun activities people engage in like apple picking, exploring corn mazes, and eating all the treats such as apple cider donuts and apple pie.
Another treat we all tend to enjoy is candy on a day that has garnered much reputation on bringing the fright and that’s Halloween. A day when we dress up in our favorite characters from TV, movies, and books as we go on the hunt for the houses with the full-size candy bars. Perhaps hanging out at a party with a chance to win best costume of the night. It’s a thrill ride that can be enjoyed with friends and family, but have you ever asked yourself why? Why has it become tradition to buy tons of candy, expensive costumes and explore a neighborhood with houses decorated with skeletons and fake blood everywhere? This is by far my favorite holiday, which is why I was determined to discover the origin of Halloween.
The Ancient Celtic origin refers to the rising of Samhain and the end of harvest. The moment was marked by the beginning of winter and with
it follows winter, darkness, and death. Just like most things that were created and traditionally practiced, it can be rooted in a belief — that feeling with full certainty can manifest into reality given time. It was to believe that the underworld and the living would align, allowing the spirits to cross over. For protection, people would wear masks and costumes disguising themselves as one of the lost spirits. In turn individuals would leave food offerings. In a way, it’s a tradition we still celebrate just with a different meaning and ritual attach to the idea of celebrating vs. survival. From pagan into Christianity, we transition as someone set out to turn the symbol of fear into the symbol of hope.
To turn the tide of a situation in a different direction only requires the will of a single person. As stated in the article “WWI began as Austria-Hungry declared war with Serbia and soon the allied forced followed” on History.com, one of those allied forces was France and as with any nation they suffered heavy casualties. According to the National World War I Museum, to inspire a sense of community, passion, and strength for the continuing of war, Pope Benedict XV had an idea to create a three-day celebration to honor the churches, saints, and the fallen in battle. The first day being October 31, called All Hallow’s Eve for the pretext for the celebration. Then November 1, All Saints Day with the community enjoying a feast prepared by friends and neighbors. Finally, November 2, All Souls Day that include prayers and visits to graves. People would decorate the tombstones with flowers and leave mementoes like clothes that correlate with their family members. It’s shared in the passage that this three-day tradition is compared to the American holiday of Memorial Day. It’s quintessentially human to turn a newly Christian tradition of All Hallow’s Eve into the Halloween we all know and love.
Just like anything, through the passage of time, the meaning and rituals associated with the tradition can be adapted or altered for a modern interpretation. Some of the contemporary traditions include trick-or-treating in costumes, attending parties, or carving pumpkins to create Jack-O-Lanterns. Halloween is filled with laughter, joy, and a sense of belonging with a splash of screams to level things out. Instead of viewing this as a day for warding off spirits, or commemorating the tragedy of war, Americans choose to focus on the love we have for spooky things and the different ways we express that passion.
Some choose to buy costumes for their pets, others spend thousands of dollars decorating the interior and exterior of their home, while some simply take their siblings door to door savoring every candy collected. History.com reports: “Americans spend more than eleven billion dollars annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday after Christmas.” With that kind of money there is no wonder why movies, video games, anime and other forms of media have exploded through the years as there has been a shift on what’s accepted or indeed the norm. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Halloween there’s one thing for certain, everyone deserves one good scare.
