Halloween, with its roots stretching far back into history, proudly holds its place as one of the most ancient and cherished holiday customs we enjoy in modern times. This frightening festival is a staple in American culture. But, where did this enchanted fiesta come from? What was the purpose behind it? And why do we celebrate it today?
The beloved celebration of Halloween traces its origins back to the ancient Celtic Festival known as “Samhain.” Samhain is a pagan festival celebrated from October 31-November 1. This festival is used to welcome in the harvest and usher in “the dark half of the year.” It’s said that during this time the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down allowing more interaction between humans and spirits of the “Otherworld.” This was eventually adopted into the holiday known as “Halloween.”
Today, Halloween is just a day for costumes and candy. But, why do we wear costumes and give out candy? Well, it all ties back to Samhain. In Samhain, it is tradition to wear costumes that look like scary spirits. This is all in an attempt to make sure the spirits that are coming from the Otherworld do not mess with them. That is why we wear costumes today. But what about the candy? Well, just like the costumes, the tradition of leaving sweets at the door ties back to Samhain. During Samhain, they would leave sweets at their doorstep to show honor to the spirits that are passing through. They would also offer spirit cake, which is a type of bread, to wandering spirits. This is the most likely reason why we give out candy today.
To summarize all information presented, Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday called “Samhain.” Samhain is used to welcome in “the dark half of the year.” We wear costumes because in Samhain, they wore costumes to ward off spirits. And we give out candy because in Samhain, they gave candy to spirits as a sign of honor. So, there you have it… The History of Halloween!
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