Entry #2- History of Halloween and Traditions

     Welcome back to my Blog! 

    With October approaching, let's learn a little of how Halloween and some traditions came to be what we know now. Parties and dressing up is something we have always known growing up. Carving pumpkins with our family and even bobbing for apples at Halloween parties, little traditions we have been doing for a while. But where did these originate from? How long has Halloween been Halloween?

    Some would have never guessed that Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic Tradition. Also known as the Celtic Festival of Samhain (sow-in), it marked the end of summer and the start of the cold wintery season. The Celtics believed that their New Year's Eve, October 31, made the line separating the land of the living and dead would intertwine, so they would celebrate the spirits of passed loved ones coming to the land of the living. This festival has changed from Samhain to All Saint's Day in A.D. 1000.

    All Saint's Day was held on November 1st, and was a more acceptable to religious persons, honoring the past loved ones, dressing up as angels, devils, or even saints. This was known, by many, as a way of the church replacing the traditional Celtic tradition. All Saint's Day was also known as All- Hollows. Samhain would be celebrated the night before, deeming it All-Hollows Even and then, with time, was called Halloween. 

    Halloween slowly made its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, by immigrants fleeing from the Irish Potato Famine. Traditions were brought along making Halloween one of the most popular traditions known nationally. 

    By the end of the 1800's, many tried to make Halloween a more friendly and neighborly way of coming together rather than being spooky. With this, gatherings became parties for both children and adults alike. Games like Bobbing for apples was a popular and traditional game at said parties. But why apples? 

    The romans brought apples and their Goddess of love and fertility, Pomona, to the Celts and incorporated the Honoring of their Goddess with the Celtic festival, which fell very close to the same day. It's believed that this possibly is how apples became part of the Halloween tradition.

    With fruits coming into play, Jack o' Lanterns are a very popular tradition that most people part take. There is an Irish folklore about a young blacksmith by the name Jack. Now Jack wasn't your typical gambler. He has tricked and made a fool out of the devil himself. from having the devil take form of a coin and placing this coin near a cross, keeping the devil from changing back and told the devil he would free him under certain conditions. Not once but twice he trapped and made deals that his soul would not be claimed by the devil. when time came and Jack passed, God didn't want such a person in heaven and denied Jack. The devil also remembered he could not claim Jack either and threw a lit coal at jack, sending him on his way to roam the earth. Jack used this coal inside of a turnip he carried with him. With this he was called Jack of the Lantern or Jack O' Lantern for short.

    Halloween has always been a way for kids to have fun and be a little spooked. Candies and tricks, meeting new neighbors and disguising yourself as a monster. It has come a long way, and more and more people are joining in, even pets! 

Be safe if you are celebrating this year, share and comment what your favorite part of Halloween is. Until next time, Bye!