Spooky Season

The History Behind the Annual Chilling Tradition

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

On Oct. 31, Halloween is celebrated all over the globe. When the holiday originated, it was called All Hallows Eve, which was observed the night before All Saint’s Day. The Roman Catholic feast that honored Christian martyrs and saints greatly took inspiration from the festival of Samhain, which was a major part of Celtic tradition. One Samhain tradition, wearing costumes to scare away ghosts, is reminiscent of modern Halloween custom. 

Though its traditions were originally brought over by colonists, Halloween was not popularized in America until immigrants began arriving in the 19th century. These immigrants, especially the Irish, who were escaping the Potato Famine, helped transform autumnal traditions into spooky ones. 

Before the late 1800s, Halloween was less centered on community festivity and more focused on superstition. As a result, Halloween lost much of its religious connection and became the secular holiday that is more commonly celebrated today.