BY MCKAYLA HELM, Editor
The History, Origin and Symbols
Whether people know it as Halloween, Hollowe’en, or All Hallows’ Eve, the holiday is a time for spooky fun and it celebrates the change of season.
It is thought that Halloween derived from the Celtic festival of Samhain or “summer’s end,” according to halloweenhistory.org. This festival was the most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Irish and Scottish calendars because it’s the last day of autumn before the winter months. The hardship of preparing for survival through the winter was important.
Quarter days are close to the two solstices and two equinoxes, and are often roughly three months apart. In the past, these days have been times where business was either wrapped up or started, serving as a type of deadline. Nowadays, Halloween is a mainstream holiday known for it’s traditional games and activities.
This holiday is also considered to be influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Those days involved a tradition called “souling,” which included baking breads or soul cakes for “all crysten christened souls.” This is similar to our current tradition of passing out candy and treats on Halloween night.
“[For Halloween], I dress up and hand out candy,” freshman Tristan Kinder said.
It was traditionally believed that the deceased souls would roam the earth until All Saints’ Day when they could take revenge and settle their business before leaving for the spirit world. There was also a sense that during the nights in this season, the supernatural world and the mortal world were closer together than in the spring. These beliefs and thoughts have led people to the notions of ghosts and monsters creeping around on Halloween. There have also been influences from the novels Frankenstein and Dracula and motion pictures Frankenstein and The Mummy.
There are other symbols of Halloween aside from the supernatural creatures. The signs of Halloween are carved pumpkins called Jack O’ Lanterns, blacks cats and the colors of Halloween, black and orange.
Carving Jack O’ Lanterns
The tradition of carving pumpkins developed from an old legend called Stingy Jack, according to history.com. Supposedly, after tricking the devil multiple times, Jack finally died and was neither accepted into Heaven nor the alternative. Instead, Jack was sent off with only a burning coal that he had put in a carved out turnip to roam the world.
This legend originated from Europe. They would carve faces onto turnips, potatoes or beets to scare off wandering Stingy Jack or any other souls about. When people began immigrating to America, the pumpkin was adopted into the tradition of carving Jack O’ Lanterns.
Trick-or-Treating
Another popular activity to partake in on Halloween is trick-or-treating. As it is named, children go around from house to house and ask “Trick or treat?”. If they do not receive a treat, then visiting children will perform mischief on the owner’s house instead. Nowadays, people are generally expected to have treats or candy for the visitors.
“My grandkids always come over and dress up. They’re really into it,” math teacher Sharon Beck said.
Dressing up and putting on costumes is a major part of trick-or-treating.
“One year we carved a pumpkin, and I wore it on my head,” senior Sam Kilgore said.
This common Halloween tradition has derived from guising, Christmas wassailing or souling, according to halloweenhistory.org. All three of these trick-or-treat origins involve traveling from house to house in order to beg or ask for food or treats. In Scotland, one of the earliest records of people getting dressed up and asking for treats is in 1895 when a group of masqueraders visited different homes.
Halloween has progressed from being a mystifying day into a family-friendly holiday where children can collect treats and play pretend. Although there is a difference in celebration, this holiday remains a day when summer ends and falls begins.
Sources: Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopædia of World Religions, A Pocket Guide To Superstitions Of The British Isles, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue, Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue, Frank Leslie’s popular monthly