A comprehensive guide
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The origins of our spooky festivities
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|S beeen is one of the largest and most
celebrated holidays in North America. In
fact, Halloween is the second-largest holiday
(right after Christmas) in terms of celebrations
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Canada and another $8 billion in the US. As early
as August, retailers fill their shelves with all sorts
of chocolates, candies, pumpkins, costumes, and
decorations to bring the night of October 31 to
life. Children usually go door-to-door dressed
in costumes seeking goodies, while their older
counterparts dress up and spend the night
drinking and having fun with their friends and
families. Most everyone uses Halloween as an
excuse to celebrate horror and scare others for fun.
But what does this holiday really mean? What
is the origin of celebrating horror, of lighting up
hollow pumpkins, of dressing in costumes?
Although Halloween is a combination of
Christian and pagan influences and the origins
and combinations of festivals are widely debated,
it is generally agreed that this holiday originally
comes primarily from Christianity. From October
31 to November 2 is a period of time during
which Western Christians remember the faithful
departed souls—particularly their recognized
martyrs and saints. In the beginning it was known
as “All Hallow’s Eve,” before being contracted

 

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to “Hallowe’en.” Celebrations to remember the
dead are common across many cultures, with

the specific time of year often moved to coincide
with this Christian ritual. The night of October

31 was traditionally thought to be the time when
the afterlife came close to the actual world. This
recognition of the supernatural became the
horror-themed celebration we know today. An
unrelated pagan ritual known as “Samhain” is also
traditionally celebrated on the night of October
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holidays merged in the 19th and 2oth century.

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recognizable part of the holiday. The concept
emerged from several cultural practices that
involve seeking treats going door-to-door. In the
Middle Ages, those in need would go to residences
on November 1 and ask for food offerings in
exchange for prayers for departed souls. This
practice was known as “guising” or “souling.”
During All Hallow’s Eve, some people would
dress in costumes or use masks so as not to be
recognized by a departed soul. Modern trick-
or-treating performed by children originated in
North America in the early 20th century. It was
not mainstream until the 1930s or 1940s, but
became popular after World War II ended and
sugar and candy was plentiful again. In so

   

 

areas—particularly in Scotland and Ireland—
the “trick” part is taken seriously; children are
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the “trick” may be seen as more of a threat as far
too many unwitting house owners have fallen
prey to smashed pumpkins or egged walls after
refusing to give out candy to rowdy youngsters.

The jack-o’-lantern, another ubiquitous
Halloween symbol, has multiple origin stories
and connections. Some folklore tells of how
“Jack” was trapped by the devil, who was tricked
by Jack from claiming his soul. After dying, Jack
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lifestyle, and he continues to wander the world
with his lantern, searching for a place to rest.

The carving of vegetables for lantern usage has
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All Hallow’s Eve celebrations. In Europe, turnips
or squash were used as light sources to guide
those who were souling. The pumpkin variation
originated in North America, simply due to the
climate conditions, which made them easier to
grow in this part of the world. Using pumpkins
for carving and nutrition was part of the culture
before being associated with Halloween, and is also
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Halloween is celebrated differently all over
the world, but it is by far, biggest in Canada and
the US. Many cultures—even English-speaking
ones—would find our style almost unrecognizable.
In Australia and New Zealand, Halloween is not
widely practiced. Many parts of Europe have also
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couple of decades due to Western pop culture.

In Asia, Halloween’s influence is generally
even less than in Europe. However, certain
cultures have celebrations for the d
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