History of Halloween

Halloween was first introduced in the ancient Celtic festival. The festival was used to celebrate the end of the harvest season. The festival was a time for the pagans to slaughter livestock for the winter. These festivals involved large bonfires, in which the bones of the slaughtered animals were burnt. The ancient Gaels believed that Halloween was the boundary between the alive and dead, in which the dead would come and stir up trouble. The whole time during the fire, masks and costumes were often worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or to scare them away. During the fire festival, souls of the dead wander the earth and are free to return to the mortal world until dawn.

A jack-o-lantern is a huge American symbol of Halloween. These carved pumpkins originated in Europe and were carved from a turnip or rutabaga. They believed the head was the most powerful part of the body, containing the spirit and knowledge. The name jack-o-lantern comes from the Irish legend of Stringy Jack, in the case that the devil put a curse on the old greedy farmer.

Today, some of these traditions still exist. We may not go out and slaughter all of our livestock and burn their bones, but bonfires and dressing up in costume are a few traditions still alive today. Weather or not you believe the spirits of the dead come back is up to you. I personally view Halloween as a night for kids to dress up and go trick-or-treating for candy, and Halloween parties. Halloween and its meaning has changed a lot over time.