Halloween is often associated with kids in costume threatening you for candy with their “trick or treat” greetings. However, this is just a recent association with the spooky season which has origins from thousands of years ago with an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain.
Samhain was a holiday celebrated by the ancient Celts around November 1. On this day, the veil between the human world and the Otherworld was weak, allowing ghosts to pass through and enter our world. The Celts would wear costumes, so they could disguise themselves. They would often sacrifice crops and animals to the deities for protection. As Christianity spread through Europe, Samhain was changed to separate it from its pagan origins; it was moved to October 31 and was rebranded as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually becoming the Halloween we know today.
Many cultures have similar holidays where they commemorate the dead and recognize the spirit world. In Mexico the holiday known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a day in which families honor their ancestors by leaving a marigold trail to their house, making sugar skulls, and giving offerings to the dead at their family’s altar, or at the tombs of deceased loved ones. In China they have a similar festival called Qing Ming Jie, or Tomb Sweeping festival, where they venerate their ancestors by cleaning and visiting grave sites of family members, offering food and drink, burning paper money and incense, and flying kites for good luck. Qing Ming Jie, Día de los Muertos, and Halloween are similar holidays that all center around remembering the people that came before us and the lives they lived.
At Mepham, the excitement of Halloween affected all of us. The Art Service Club hosted their annual pumpkin painting on October 20. This event had popcorn for all attendees and plenty of art on display. Painted pumpkins filled the room as students chatted and ate treats. “I created a pumpkin with vines, big eyes, and a cute bow tie,” said Freshman Gabby Fernandez, one of the participants.
From disguises to dressing up as your favorite movie character, Halloween has always been a time of chills and scares. Whether we’re celebrating the lives of those who came before us, or Trunk-Or-Treating, the tradition of this beautiful spooky season lives on.