Fall is one of the most beloved times of the year, the temperature starts to drop and so do the leaves. With the spooky season right around the corner old traditions are popping up everywhere like families carving pumpkins, people decorating their houses for Halloween, and buying candy. But, why do we do these things?
Many of these traditions stem back to before the twenty-first century. According to a Michigan State University study, carving pumpkins and making Jack-O-Lanterns in the United States are a result of Irish immigrants moving to the country and bringing with them their legend of Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was not held in high regard by the townsfolk because of his devious acts. After getting word of this, Satan came to Jack for his soul. Jack was then forced to roam the earth with only a carved turnip engulfed in fire. This story is what sparked the trend of putting burning coals into a carved potato or turnip which eventually translated into pumpkins.
Another popular Halloween tradition is trick-or-treating. There are many theories as to where this specific trend came from but nothing has been discovered for certain. According to the Library Of Congress Blogs, Celtics would leave out food to appease the spirits traveling Earth.
Another speculation is the Scottish practice of guising, disguising yourself with a mask and fancy dress. During the year 993, a large number of children and poor adults would go from house to house pleading for food and in return, they would give a prayer for their dead relatives this started the holiday known as All Souls Day.
A third theory of why people give out candy is from a German-American Christmas tradition called Belsnickle. Many kids would dress in costumes and call their neighbors to see if they could guess their disguises. If they were unable to do so, they would be obligated to reward the children with treats.
Lastly, the Celtics of Ireland would celebrate their new year with a festival called Samhain which is a Pagan religious celebration to celebrate the end of summer and the start of the harvests. During this holiday, the Celtics would light bonfires and wear costumes to scare off the ghosts.
Halloween is an age-old holiday that is still popular today. Many of the Halloween traditions this world has grown to love come from old societies and their religious beliefs. Although the meaning of Halloween has changed, it remains a night for many different communities to come together.
