Halloween Customs in America

American Halloween has evolved over time with the customs of other countries and by the strict Protestant beliefs. There was no Halloween at the beginning of the colonization of America but as time past the Southern colonies along with Maryland began the American traditions. The American Indians had always celebrated the end of the seasons harvest of bounty so this along with the Europeans that emigrated to America, combined the celebrations. Just like the time during the Celts celebrations of the end of the harvest season the Americans did the same.

People of all ethnic backgrounds would join together to celebrate. They called these celebrations "play parties," to celebrate the end of the years seasonal harvest of bounty. Instead of believing that the ghost of the dead came back on the night of October 31st as the Celts did, people would tell stories of ghosts, sing and dance.

As time went on celebrations for the end of the seasonal harvest spread to communities but were changed to autumn festivals, however, Halloween still had not spread to other parts of America. People still believed that Halloween was filled with ghost walking the earth so was down right evil. With the potato famine of Ireland in the middle 1800s, the Irish immigrants that arrived in America were the ones that really set the stage for Halloween in America. They brought with them their traditions of dressing in costumes, going door-to-door asking for food or money and the carving of gourds, turnips or pears.

The purpose of going door-to-door goes back to England on All Souls' Day. While parades and celebrations continued, the poor people of the community would go door-to-door begging for food. They would receive what was called "soul cakes" and in return they had to pray for the families relatives that had died. The Celts would leave food and wine on their door steps for the ghost of the dead that wondered the earth on October 31st so they wouldn't try to enter their homes; the church changed this as a way of replacing the Celts traditions. As this practice died out with the poor, the neighborhood children took over and went door-to-door to receive money, ale or food.

As the end of the 1800s approached, Americans decided to change Halloween from ghosts stories and end of year seasonal harvest to neighbors getting together. Celebrating Halloween was now for adults and children, parties involved food, games and costumes. Costumes came about by the Celts that believed that if they left there homes during the night hours, which the Celts were afraid of the dark, that the ghosts of the dead would confront them so they wore masks to cover their faces and trick the ghostly spirits as being one of there own. By the early 1900s Halloween had lost most of its ghost stories and religious implication. Town community parties and parades were the highlights of Halloween.

The purpose of carving gourds, turnips or pears, the Irish believed, was to welcome loved ones spirits, guide their way and to protect from evil. They placed these carved lanterns on their door steps and windows. When the Irish arrived in America they found that pumpkins were easier to carve plus being hollow, which gourds, turnip and pears are not. Coal was used to light up the pumpkins which gradually changed to candles. In time they were called jack-o-lantern.

Then vandalism began to be wide spread on the evening of Halloween. With the help of leaders, vandalism came to a crawl and Halloween turned to the young. During the baby boom of the 1950 Halloween parties were showing up in homes and at school classrooms because of the smaller amount of crowd control to be monitored. The door-to-door visits resumed and to prevent vandalism, treats were given to children.

This is how the trick-or-treating tradition started in America so come October 31st dawn your costume, hit the streets with your sack to bring home your stash of candy but remember you have to say "trick-or-treat" before you can receive your candy.

Today, Halloween has become one of the biggest commercial holidays for the American population; right behind Christmas; over two and a half billion dollars is spent before Halloween night! Kids, remember to let your parents check over your candy before you eat any of it and remember to only go to houses that have porch lights on!