Comparing Halloween
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Halloween is a favorite holiday for kids all over the United States, but do you know about its history? Halloween has a history . . . and that history isn’t all about how your grandparents maybe only collected caramels and butterscotch while you can snag 20 different types of chocolate while you are trick-or-treating.
Ancient Irish Roots
Halloween has its historic roots in the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain which celebrated the changing of the seasons. This festival also served as a remembrance of family members who had died. The ancient Gaels (the ethnic group who settled what is today Ireland) believed that this seasonal change created a thinning of the border between the living world and the spirit world. This might have encouraged the wearing of costumes to disguise you from an evil spirit.
The Christian Influence
The medieval Irish name Hallowe’en was a shortened form of the phrase All Hallows Evening. To hallow someone or something means “to honor it as holy.” All Hallows Eve was the night before All Saints Day, which was a Christian holy day observed on November 1.
Where Did the Candy Come From?
You don’t think of any of this history when you are out trick or treating. You want to get the most and the best candy! Where did this part of the holiday tradition come from? History shows that in the United States, kids in the early twentieth century walked through town and were rewarded with nuts and small candies for singing songs or performing simple rhymes.
Related Links
- Are there other countries that have an equivalent to Halloween? Click here to read a new article that examines some celebrations in other cultures.
