Saturday, October 5, 2024 / by Rosie Carroll
How Halloween came about
Halloween’s origins trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated over 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the UK, and northern France. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time when it was believed that the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off wandering spirits.
As Christianity spread, the church sought to replace pagan celebrations with Christian observances. November 1st became All Saints’ Day (or All Hallows’ Day), and the evening before, October 31st, transformed into All Hallows’ Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.
By the 19th century, Halloween had begun to take on a more festive, community-oriented tone, especially in America, where Irish immigrants brought their traditions. This included trick-or-treating, which evolved from the practice of “souling,” where people would go door-to-door asking for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. Over time, Halloween evolved into the holiday we know today, blending ancient customs with new traditions focused on fun, costumes, and community celebration.