Samhain and Halloween

For many people, Halloween is a chance to dress up in costumes and go door to door seeking candy. However, there is more to Halloween than that. I am going to provide you with some background information as well as history on this candy-driven holiday.

Halloween history traces back to a period approximately 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. The Celts celebrated Halloween's direct ancestor, under the name of Samhain. Samhain was actually a ritual to mark the end of the year. The Celtic celebration was very similar to the partying that occurs on New Year's Eve, only their calendar year begins on November 1^st versus January 1^st.

When taking a look back into history, there are many similarities between Samhain and Halloween. Samhain was not just an occasion to celebrate, it also represented to the Celts that day in which the barrier separating earthly existence from the afterworld broke down which provided a doorway for the dead to return to life in the physical vessel of an animal, such as a black cat or an owl.

During Samhain, villagers would go around the village collecting food to be offered to the gods, a clear precursor to trick-or-treating. These revelers would construct an enormous bonfire made of burnt embers from their own home fires. These bonfires helped keep the evil spirits at bay. The villagers would wear costumes and use gourds, on which frightening faces were carved to carry their burning embers; this was one way they believed that they could ward of spirits on the way to the bonfire.

Christianity and Halloween

The introduction of Christianity gave the history of Halloween its first twist. Pagan holidays were transformed into Christian holidays, beginning with the creation of All Saints' Day. This Christian holiday was initiated to turn the feasting and celebration away from worshipping Pagan gods and toward honoring Catholic saints.

Dark Times

The 1920's was when the first revolt against the holiday occurred. Halloween night had become more dedicated to tricking than treating for some. In fact, the number of violent and mean-spirited acts of vandalism began to increase at an alarming rate. For centuries, tricks that were harmless had been part of Halloween such as soaping windows and knocking over outhouses. However, at the turn of the 20^th century, a new breed of trickery that included cruelty to both animals and people and destruction of private property was introduced.

The 20th Century

An organized movement to reclaim the holiday for children was launched and was successful. The next five decades may just be considered to be the high point of Halloween history as a holiday set aside exclusively for children. This was the period where nearly every homeowner in the country was greeted by kids dressed up in different costumes asking for candy.

The end of this period started in the late 1960's, when the first rumors that some kids were receiving candy tainted with LSD began to circulate. In fact, throughout the 70's, the danger associated with the holiday switched from candy corrupted with drugs to candy and fruits containing poison or razor blades.

Parents everywhere were drilling into their children's heads that they were not allowed to eat any of their candy before it was inspected at home. The perception of Halloween changed drastically due to these rumors even though not a single fatality was ever recorded.

Halloween Today

In today's day and age, Halloween has become more popular and people of all ages celebrate this holiday. Adults and kids dress up in costumes for parties with friends and loved ones. Haunted houses have increased in popularity and visiting one that has spectacular special effects is an experience that is actively sought out by many people. The history of Halloween has remained consistent for approximately 3,000 years and is now the second most favorite holiday of the year.