Whether it’s going from house to house collecting candy, or bobbing for apples, many people around the globe celebrate Halloween very differently. There are many forms of halloween that people celebrate, like All Hallow’s Eve which has christian origins and came from a man named Pope Gregory III who during the eighth century assigned November 1st as a day to honor saints (All Saints Day) and the night before that became known as All Hallow’s Eve and later Halloween. One tradition originating in Scotland and Ireland, is Samhain, a day of reciting poetry in exchange for food, honoring ancestors with feasts, and dressing up to ward off evil spirits. Jack O’Lanterns were also carved out of turnips to scare away the evil forces. This tradition of carving faces into vegetables was carried over by immigrants which resorted to carving in pumpkins, leading to the popular custom we all know and love today. However, the day was originally to celebrate the end of summer and the upcoming harvest.

Some people might be wondering where the term, “Trick Or Treat!” came from. The simple answer is this, in America, in the late 1800s outhouse-tipping and vegetable-uprooting to neighbors were common tricks on Halloween. By the early 1900s, people started to vandalize, setting off pipe bombs and initiating violence on Halloween. So in order to avoid this, it was suggested to have adults hand out treats which thwarted the intended tricks.

A common misconception about Halloween, is that it is a satanic holiday, and while many associate ghosts, goblins, ghouls, witches, monsters, and all things evil with the day, that wasn’t the original purpose. People started dressing up not to blend in and honor the demonic spirits, but to scare them off and keep them at bay. 

It is up to you which celebrations and traditions you will continue to pass on to the next generation. This Halloween, you are encouraged to try an older tradition, maybe carving a turnip, reciting poetry, or hosting a feast to honor those who came before you. However you decide to spend your Halloween night, make sure it’s spooktacular!

Sources:

https://wellness.asu.edu/blog/halloween-myths-debunked

https://www.liherald.com/longbeach/premium/stories/forgotten-charms-15-old-school-halloween-traditions-that-are-no-longer-practiced,197152