The Fascinating History of Halloween: Meaning, Origins & Tradition
From bedsheet ghosts to pin the tail on the donkey to pumpkin spice lattes… Halloween is a global phenomenon that is celebrated differently all over the world. While Halloween as we know it today has been heavily influenced by the United States, its origins aren’t necessarily common knowledge. As such, today at Civitatis we’re running through the history of Halloween. We’ll discuss how it has changed and provide you with everything you need to know about this beloved holiday!
Halloween: A Complete Guide
- The Celtic Tradition of Samhain
- Halloween and Ancient Rome
- Christianity and Halloween/All Hallows’ Eve
- Halloween and the United States
- Halloween in Mexico and the Day of the Dead
1. Halloween and the Celtic Tradition of Samhain
There are a number of theories about the true origins of this celebration. The name Halloween/Hallowe’en comes from All Hallow’s Eve, which refers to the evening prior to All Hallows’ Day—a Western Christian feast. However, like many Christian holidays/feasts, Halloween is thought to have more ancient, pagan roots.
The most widely accepted theory is that Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which dates back over 2000 years. This festival celebrates the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. Samhain would have been widely observed throughout Ireland as well as in Scotland and the Isle of Man. Similar festivals would likely have been celebrated in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany in northern France.
On the night of Samhain, it was thought that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead blurred and the dead would return to the mortal world. As such, people would put on masks, so that the dead would mistake them for fellow ghosts. People would also light bonfires and candles to help spirits to find their way and place food outside their homes, in order to appease the ghosts and stop them from entering their homes. Can you see why scholars have drawn the link between the two traditions?
If you’re visiting Ireland and want to learn more about its Celtic history, we highly recommend participating in this Celtic Ireland tour from Dublin, which will bring you around a number of the country’s most sacred sites, and give you a deeper insight into Celtic culture.
2. Ancient Rome, Feralia, Lemuria and Halloween
Samhain would have also been influenced by Roman practices. The ancient Romans celebrated the dead as part of the festival of Feralia which was also celebrated in late October. On this holiday, the Roman’s also celebrate the goddess of fruits and trees, which is thought by some scholars to have contributed to the practice of bobbing for apples.
Lemuria is another Roman festival which has been linked to Halloween, taking place on the 9th, 11th and 13th of May. During this festival, citizens would offer food outside their homes to ware away the spirits of dead people with whom they had feuded. It has been suggested that Lemuria derives from ‘Remuria’ in reference to Remus—the co-founder of Rome who was killed by his brother Romulus.
3. Christianity and Halloween/All Hallows’ Eve
With the spread of Catholicism in Ireland, Celtic traditions such as Samhain became Christianised—i.e adopted in some form as a Christian practice. Samhain, for example, merged with the eve of All Saints’ Day.
A key character in the Christianisation of Halloween was Pope Gregory III. In the 7th century, he decided to change the date of Martyrs’ Day on May 13th to All Saints’ Day on November 1st. Therefore, the night before this holiday, October 31st, coincided with the beginning of Samhain, creating a concrete link between the pagan feast and the Catholic religion. Although the Protestant Reformation put an end to All Saints’ Day in places such as Great Britain, the deep-rootedness of this tradition meant that it continued to be celebrated as a secular holiday.
4. From Ireland to the United States of America: Trick or Treat?
Ireland is central in the history of Halloween, and Irish immigrants are responsible for bringing many of the traditions of Samhain and All Hallows Eve to the United States of America, and elsewhere across the world. These ideas arrived in the 19th century, but the holiday as we know it wasn’t celebrated until the 1920s when the first Halloween parade in history took place in Minnesota. After the parade in Minnesota, Halloween’s popularity continued to grow.
Halloween grew significantly in the 1970s. It was then that Halloween began to be featured in movies. From there, thanks to the internationalization of cinema and television, the tradition was exposed to the whole world. Truly, Hollywood is the main reason that Halloween is known and replicated in many parts of the world. Some of the most famous Halloween movies include Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween and The Return of the Witches. These films have played an important role in shaping and cementing the tradition of Halloween.
The phrase ‘trick or treat’ has become absolutely synonymous with Halloween. In movies and TV shows, you’ll often see children dressing up on Halloween night and going from door to door repeating ‘trick or treat?’ to everyone who answers the door. This tradition dates back to Samhain, though the phrase ‘trick or treat’, is one of North America’s many contributions to this holiday, first recorded in the 1920s in Canada. The idea behind the phrase is that the person answering the door can either provide a treat, or become subject to a playful ‘trick’ or a prank. Of course, the phrase is less literal than it was back then.
Many traditions changed over time. For example, the Jack-o’-lantern, which is now usually made with a pumpkin, in Ireland was made usually with a turnip. The African-American population also brought their own beliefs and traditions, including voodoo an witchcraft. If you’re in Louisiana, you can learn more about these traditions and the role of voodoo and witchcraft on this New Orleans Mystery & Legends Tour with Civitatis!
5. Is Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico Related to Halloween?
Despite Halloween’s cultural prominence in much of the Western world, this tradition hasn’t gone completely worldwide. Some draw the connection between Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Halloween and even call it ‘Mexican Halloween’. However, while the two holidays may share some similar practices, ultimately, they’re completely different holidays.
Like Halloween, the origins of Día de Muertos are somewhat contested, and views differ as to whether the tradition has pre-Hispanic or European roots. Many Mexican scholars suggest that the celebration derives principally from a Spanish tradition and that the influence of indigenous traditions and iconography came more recently, in the 20th century.
The holiday is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. At this time of year Mexicans usually visit cemeteries and build colourful altars (ofrendas). These altars are adorned with photos, candles, flowers and the favourite foods of the departed. Unlike Halloween, Dia de Muertos is a celebratory tradition. During these days, people sing songs and share stories, as is beautifully reflected in the film Coco.
Visiting Mexico (especially Oaxaca and Mexico City) at this time of year is well worth it. Check out entry number 4 on our list of the best places to travel in November to learn more about how to experience the festivities for yourself!
The history of Halloween involves a combination of various cultures and it continues to evolve today! How do you celebrate Halloween? Travelling during Halloween is a great way to learn about other cultures. Thinking of travelling during spooky season? Be sure to check out tours and experiences with Civitatis to make the most of your trip!
