history of halloween

THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
Name
Institution
Introduction
Customs and beliefs of ancient superstitions and practices have evolved into the Halloween holiday that is common nowadays. The history of the holiday is deceptive and very mysterious. “It is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31.” The word Halloween is a brief version of All Hallows’ Evening. The traditional activities carried out include bonfires, costume parties, trick-or-treating, visiting designed haunted places and carving jack-o-lanterns. (History Channel 2005) The tradition was established by Irish and Scottish immigrants to North America. In the late twentieth century, it had influence and was embraced by countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Canada, Ireland, The United Kingdom and Australia among others.
The origins of Halloween
Its origins are traced back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. “It is a celebration of the end of the harvesting season in the Gaelic culture.” It was a time utilized by pagans to gather a stock of survival supplies and prepare for the winter. In their tradition, the Gaels believed that on 31st October, “the boundaries that separated the world of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause mayhem such as damage crops and introduce epidemic diseases that affected the masses.” The festivals associated with Halloween at the time involved bonfires. It is also believed that the fires attracted insects which in turn attracted bats meant for various rituals.

Costumes and masks were worn in an effort to imitate the evil spirits or calm them down.
Part of the history of Halloween is the costumes used during the holiday. The practice of putting on costumes and begging “door to door” for treats on holiday date back to the middle ages, and involves Christmas wassailing. For instance, trick or treating look a lot like the late medieval practice of ‘souling’ whereby poor people went “door to door” on Hallowmas (November 1), “receiving foodstuffs in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day” (November 2).
The prayer for dead souls “originated in Britain and Ireland,” although similar practices were present as far as Italy. Despite the claims, it is believed that trick and treating might have developed independently in America without an Irish or British predecessor. (Morton 2012) Apparently, there are very few important Halloween historical documents of masking or costumes on Halloween in Ireland, the United Kingdom, or America before the 20th century. Media records in the early twentieth century have proved that children were involved in the practice of treating by going from household to household to be rewarded with presents for their songs and rhyme. The Halloween holiday evolved in America in the 1940s and was influenced by almost all states in the United States. Media channels such as newspaper and the invention of television were key factors that facilitated the spread of Halloween holiday.
With regard to the practice of Treat and treating some adult individuals across the United States saw it as a form of extortion with responses ranging from anger to perplexed indulgence but afterward they embraced the culture. Currently, most individuals practice Halloween by putting on various costumes that are based on any attire. It has now become a secular holiday meant for entertainment and as time goes by the traditional culture of the holiday is losing value. Nowadays, most people do not believe in superstitions. Therefore, they view Halloween as a holiday to have fun by getting involved in various practices associated with the tradition.
References
Arts and Entertainment Network., & History Channel. (2005). “The History of Halloween.” Place of publication not identified: A & E Television Networks, HistoryChannel.com.
Morton, L. (2012). Trick or treat: A history of Halloween. London: Reaktion Books.