Halloween: Its Origins and Traditions

The leaves have turned orange, red, yellow, and the air has turned crisp. It's that time of year again where people of all ages get dressed up in things they would normally never wear. The candy is stocked high on the market shelves in preparation for the day that most sweets are given out freely amongst homes, churches, and festivals.

What do you really know about how it all started or why we give out treats? Why do horror films such as Night of the Living Dead all the sudden become popular and watched throughout the month of October?

Zombies, Goblins, Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, and other creatures are all talked about and imitated on all Hollows Eve. Have you ever wondered why or where these stories began? It's time to take a quick blast to the past and see where all this "scary fun" originated.

Toward the beginning of the 1900s the Scottish and Irish were migrating to America and with them came the Halloween traditions passed on throughout the generations. As The Holiday Spot reports, It originally was a pagan festival dating back more than 2,000 years ago called "Samhain". It was created as a way to give offerings and sacrifices to appease the dead. Often the gifts were fruits, vegetables, grains, and even animals.

When the Romans conquered the Celtic lands in 43 AD the "Samhain" festival began to be influenced by the Roman beliefs and was celebrated toward the end of the month of October. Originally the Romans called it "Pomona" and later changed it to "Feralia".

The actual name "Halloween" came much later in history. Some time in 800 AD a pope by the name of Boniface decided to make the first day of November a day known as "All Saints Day". It was a day to honor the Martyrs and Saints that have passed away.

The night prior to "All Saints Day" was known to the Christians as "All Hallow's Eve" which eventually was shortened to "Halloween". By this time the holiday "Halloween" had spread like wildfire and become part of their mainstream culture.

Many countries have since adopted the traditions of Halloween including the United States, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and New Zealand to name a few. There's no denying that Halloween has ingrained itself firmly into modern culture and is hear to stay. What was once a day of remembrance for those who have passed on has now evolved into a day of sweets, costumes, and celebration.