Halloween is a holiday that has been celebrated for centuries, but where did it all begin? The answer lies in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer. People would light bonfires and don costumes to ward off ghosts. In the late 19th century, there was an effort in the United States to make Halloween more about community and neighborhood meetings than about ghosts, jokes, and witchcraft. In 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaker cook could bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it.
Trick-or-treating became popular in the 1950s when Halloween became a national event. The history of Halloween goes back thousands of years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain. This sacred festival marked the end of the harvest season and welcomed the new year. Let's take a journey back in time to explore some of the first ghostly Halloween celebrations, such as the different demons and spirits that people used to fear, what people carved instead of pumpkins, and even what Valentine's Day and Halloween have in common. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between our world and the spirit world became blurred. On this night, they believed that ghosts of the dead returned to earth and caused trouble and damaged crops.
To ward off these harmful spirits, people would wear masks and costumes made from animal skins. They also lit bonfires and offered sacrifices of crops and animals. In addition to warding off evil spirits, people also celebrated by carving turnips instead of pumpkins. They believed that these turnips were inhabited by spirits who could protect them from harm. People also believed that if they left food and drinks out for these spirits, they would be rewarded with good luck. Valentine's Day also has its roots in ancient Celtic traditions.
The Celts celebrated a festival called Imbolc on February 1st which was dedicated to their goddess Brigid. This festival was a celebration of fertility and love. People would exchange gifts with each other as a sign of their love and devotion. Halloween has come a long way since its mysterious origins in ancient Celtic times. Today it is celebrated all over the world with costumes, parties, trick-or-treating, and more.
But no matter how much it has changed over time, its roots still remain firmly planted in its ancient past.
