Halloween is a special time of year full of candy, pumpkin carving, and scares. But what is the actual reason that we celebrate this holiday? Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This festival marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. The ancient Celts believed that on the night before, the worlds of living and death became unseparated and they had to ward off evil spirits. Their practices to do so, like wearing costumes, helped evolve the holiday of halloween that we celebrate today. Halloween also originated from the Christian holiday of All Hallows’ Eve. All Hallows’ Eve, marked the evening before All Saints Day on November first. This day helped with the name of Halloween as well as the date. Another important thing we do on Halloween is Trick-or-Treating. This originated from Souling. In the Middle ages, many poor people would go around on All Souls’ Day and exchange prayers for the dead for soul cakes. This helped establish the tradition of Trick-or-Treating.
Speaking of traditions, here are some traditions that we practice today on the day of Halloween. While the holiday of Halloween came from Irish and Scottish descent, many Irish and Scottish people brought their traditions over to America. But over time, the traditions changed to shape the modern version of Halloween that we celebrate. While almost all traditions came from old festivals and holidays, like Trick-or-Treating, pumpkin carving and dressing up in fun costumes, there are still some new traditions that got added onto the holiday. For example, many people go to costume parties and Halloween parties on Halloween. Also, while at first many people dressed up to scare away evil spirits, people now dress up for fun as the focus of Halloween has shifted since it was created. Many people also like doing fun activities like apple bobbing, and haunted houses. While some things may have changed, Halloween still manages to incorporate somewhat of a spooky theme to it. Many people decorate houses, tell scary stories, and watch scary movies. Throughout all of the countries that celebrate Halloween, many traditions are a large part of what makes Halloween super special.
Halloween is made up of many different traditions, some of which came from old traditions from a long time ago. Without these, Halloween would not be the same as it is today. While its overall focus may have changed over time, Halloween is a very important day that gives many people thrill and excitement.
