why do we have halloween

Why do we have Halloween?

A New Year, a man Celts believed, marked summer’s end, harvest time, and the start of dark, cold winter months. Those winter months were associated with the dead by people. On October 31, the night before the New Year, the Celts celebrated Samhain. This day, they believed, was when the ghosts of the deceased returned to earth because the boundaries between the living world and the dead world blurred.

When we think of “Trick-Or-Treating", the origins can probably be found in the English All Souls’ Day parades. During these celebrations, the poor would come out and begged for food from the more wealthy families. When the families gave them pastries and other foods they asked for the poor to pray for their relatives that have died.

Another possibility that may have grown into “Trick-Or-Treating" is the tradition of people leaving bowls of food in front of their homes. They did this to keep the ghosts that were wandering the earth from entering.

Dressing in costumes in different designs to frighten people. It was cold, it was darker, and the possibility of running out of food was great.

When they reached the time when they thought the dead returned, they thought they might encounter these ghosts whenever they left their houses. The wearing of masks and costumes grew from these people donning masks so the ghosts would not recognize them!

This holiday was brought to the US by Scotch and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. At that time, much of the “spookiness" of the holiday was removed and a sense of community and fun were added. Although scary themes are still the focus of many Halloween celebrations, that scariness is done for fun, not because of actual fear. Halloween is currently the 2nd largest commercial holiday!

Adapted from http://searchwarp.com/swa87241.htm