By Grey Tang, ’26
Halloween is one of the most iconic holidays we celebrate in North America. Whether you spend your night going door-to-door trick or treating, getting scared at the PNE’s Fright Nights, or bobbing for apples at one of the many other commemorative festivals that are hosted, it is clear that the tradition is a staple in our communities. There is no other time of year when people can decorate their lawns with rubber carcasses, disembodied limbs, and hanging skeletons without incriminating themselves of multiple murders and getting sent to a maximum-security prison for life. But how did it come to be this way? Were kids always dressing up and begging for chocolates in October?
In 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV established May 13 as a day for commemorating Christian martyrs, and later, to honour all saints. “All Saints’ Day”, as it was called, was later moved to November 1st by Pope Gregory III. Alternatively, it was called All-Hallows, derived from the archaic name Alholowmesse.
When Christian influence began to spread into Celtic nations like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, their festivals gradually overtook the existing Celtic rites. It just so happened that the day All Saint’s was celebrated doubled as the start of a new year for the Celts, who considered it the end of summer and the beginning of cold, harsh winter. October 31st, the day before a new year began, was when boundaries between the dead and living blurred. When this happened, the deceased would come back as ghosts, going around damaging crops and causing general misfortune. While the day was originally known as Samhain, as English overtook Gaelic as the mainstream language, it became known as All-Hallows’ Eve. Over the years, All-Hallows’ Eve morphed into the Halloween we now know and love. Here are some of the traditions that have been incorporated since, and how they came to be:
Bobbing for Apples
Originally a Roman courting activity that was supposed to predict outcomes in relationships, apple-bobbing took place during a festival that honours the Roman goddess Pomona. When the Romans conquered Celtic lands, the game was incorporated into celebrations of Samhain, which occurred on a similar date as the festival. Later, when Samhain evolved into Halloween, bobbing for apples continued to be a prevalent activity, though the original romantic connotations were lost.
Jack-o’-Lanterns
An old Irish legend tells the tale of a drunkard called Stingy Jack, who was known for being cruel and deceptive. His reputation was so bad that one day, Satan himself heard about him, and decided to visit Jack. That night, Satan attempted to out-swindle Jack, only to be trapped by him in a pocket with a crucifix. Jack agreed to let him go, so long as Satan spared his soul for ten years. After ten years passed, Satan came by once again, only to be fooled by Jack once more. This time, he asked to not be taken to Hell. Satan agreed and was freed again. When Jack finally died because of his alcohol problem, as promised, he did not go to Hell. However, Heaven also barred his entry. Thus, he was left to wander the world, with only a hollowed-out turnip with a candle inside to guide his way. In real life, turnips were hollowed out and lit up for kids to play with when the story was told. Then, when Irish settlers moved to America, they switched to squash and the pumpkins we use today because the traditional turnips could not be readily acquired.
Trick-or-Treating
The origin of trick-or-treating isn’t very clear, with multiple potential sources. In truth, all of them likely contributed to the establishment of trick-or-treating as we know it now. Here are a few of the more popular ones.
- In the 16th century, on Samhain, the poor would go house to house begging for money and food. Children then began to adopt the custom, and it became popular to give them sweet desserts with crosses on them in exchange for a prayer.
- During Christmas, groups of German-American children would go “belsnickeling”, dressing up in costumes and asking their neighbours to identify them. Those who could not be identified would be awarded with candies.
- During All-Hallows’ Eve, people dressed up as ghouls and ghosts to confuse the spirits that had returned and to minimize the damage they caused. They would also leave out food and drink to appease the spirits.
Halloween has such a rich and extensive background, stemming from all sorts of different cultures from all sorts of different eras. Even now, the holiday continues to evolve as people come up with their imaginative twists of classic games and traditions. So next year, when you’re mulling over costume ideas for Halloween, think back on the hundreds of thousands of others who have done the exact same thing around this time of year. You’ve got plenty to be inspired by.