History of Halloween - Gabriela Locke

Now that the spooky season of Halloween is upon us, wouldn't you want to know why we choose October 31 to dress up and beg for candy? According to the History Network, the beginning of the tradition we call Halloween dates back to the 8th century. The people of Ireland had a festival called the Ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. They created the idea of wearing costumes as a way to ward off harmful ghosts that they believed in. They had community get-togethers around bonfires to celebrate. Soon this tradition spread to Rome. It wasn't until a century later when Pope Gregory lll, the reigning pope, designated November 1 as All Saints Day, which included traditions of Samhain. They celebrated saints and dressed in costumes as well. Over time, All Saints Day's nickname became Hallows Eve, which later evolved into the holiday we know as Halloween.

How did the Halloween tradition get to us from Ireland? Well, in the 19th century, Irish Post reports, Irish immigrants escaping the Irish Potato Famine helped spread the idea of Halloween in America. In the 1800s, Halloween was a molded holiday in the communities of America. People celebrated Halloween by dressing in costumes, attending parties, and giving sweet candy treats to children.

As Halloween became more popular around the U.S., the public started to become more creative in spreading the Halloween spirit. Movies like Scream (1996), It's The Great Big Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1996), and Ghostbusters (1984) became popular and count among the greatest Halloween movies of all time. In addition to movies, music was also created with themes of Halloween. Songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” sold 66 million copies worldwide; Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash” sold 1 million copies.

The tradition of Halloween is still going strong in America today and it is important to know why Halloween is special. Yes, people dress in silly costumes and go around their community asking for so much candy they can throw up from. However, Halloween is also an important part of history as well as a social and memorable experience for kids. Trick or treat!