Halloween's History

Although the celebration of All Hallows' Eve may have been

influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, some scholars believe it to be a purely Christian holiday. It occurs the evening before All Saints' Day or All Hallows' (Holy) Day. It likely originated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. At some point in history, the festival probably included mummings and guisings, where people dressed in costume and went house-to-house entertaining to be paid in food. All Saints' Day was introduced around 609, but it was celebrated in May then. It was switched to November 1 in 835.

People in Medieval Europe, lit fires and candles to keep the souls of the dead from haunting honest folk one last tine on October 31 before All Hallows' Day began. In later years, these may have evolved into carved pumpkins with scary faces to ward off these spirits with evil intent. Tradition said that souls of the departed roamed the earth until All Saints' Day, so the eve afforded them one last chance to seek revenge on their enemies before they moved on to another realm. They were afraid of fire, however, and tried to avoid it.

Of course, when the first colonists came to America, they brought some of these traditions and beliefs with them. Looking at its history, it is easy to see how All Hallows' Eve could have evolved into the Halloween we know today.

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