Ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. Treats, tricks, and costumes. These are all things we associate with Halloween today. However, the holiday of Halloween has origins that go far deeper through the different eras of history. It is a misconception that Halloween is the Devil’s holiday. Today I will tell about the true meaning of Halloween and how it has become a commercial, family-friendly holiday. The holiday of Halloween, and the practices they’re in, are a result of years of changes to the observance of All Hallows Eve. First, I will describe the ancient history of Halloween. Second, I will take a closer look at how and why the holiday has evolved into its current form. Third, I will discuss the importance of Halloween in the American economy.
To best understand the modern-day holiday of Halloween, one must understand the ancient elements that led up to modern times. According to the History Channel Online, “Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.” These events are the ancient beginnings of Halloween.
Following the conquer of a large portion of the Celtic territories, the Roman Empire gained control of Halloween. According to the History Channel Online, “By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.”
After the ancient festival of Samhain had passed on and the Roman Empire had fallen to the church, Halloween was taken over by the church. According to the History Channel Online, “On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honor of all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1. By the 9th century the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, where it gradually blended with and supplanted the older Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It is widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.”
Finally, after all the changes, Halloween made its way to America. According to the History Channel Online, “Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups as well as the American Indians meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.”
The modern holiday of Halloween was developed in the 1950s. According to the History Channel Online, “In the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday.”
However, Halloween’s economic impacts did not end in the 1950s. Today, according to CBS Moneywatch, “One new survey says the typical American will shell out over $250 this Halloween, and another says the total will be a cool $7.4 billion, with the bulk of it going toward costumes, candy, decorations and either throwing or attending a Halloween party. The average amount spent on the day’s trick-or-treat candy was just over $39. Costumes costs are around $60, house decorations come in at $55 and Halloween party expenses average $103.50.” Overall, Halloween is a quickly growing economic impacting factor.
The holiday of Halloween, and the practices there in, are a result of years of changes to the observance of All Hallows Eve. Halloween is a fun holiday for families to enjoy. There are many misconceptions about Halloween. However, its origins are deeply rooted in a general respect for the dead.
