Way back in high school, we were all taught history is fact and that what’s seen today always was. Mainly, this point prevails because all of the events already happened. Let’s take Halloween for example. That’s later this month, and it is fairly tradition based. There’s the trick or treating, the costumes, the decorating, and even the pumpkins. Where did that all come from?
Until around the 1940s and 1950s, Halloween would not be recognizable as the modern holiday. Before that, the celebration at the end of October depended on religious preferences. Many European religions have something that happens then since the season turn is relatively reliable.
One of the oldest festivals Halloween traces its roots to is the Celt festival of Samhain. During Samhain, the lore states that the veil is thinnest between our plane of existence and the plane of the dead, therefore allowing spirits to roam. A great many practices are attributed to this festival, including the preparation of banquets to appease spirits.
The Christian faith also has a tradition involving the dead around this time period. Instead of October 31st though, the two days following it mark All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively. While traditions varied slightly, the idea involved praying for the dead. Sometimes people would even have other people praying for the family’s recently deceased.
A great number of the traditions for Halloween came from an older time. For example, the lighting used to be to guide lost spirits. That’s certainly not what we think of today! Understanding where these traditions come from can definitely change the flavor of how the holiday is celebrated, however, this change is positive. It’s one of many ways to look below the surface, and in turn, achieve a higher understanding.
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References
History.com. History of Trick-or-Treating . 19 September 2018. Web. 7 October 2018.
Waxman, Olivia B. How Trick-or-Treating Became Part of Halloween Tradition. 27 October 2017. Web. 7 October 2018.