It’s here, it’s here! Halloween is my favorite. It’s one of the most creative holidays and I love watching how excited my kids get when they pick a costume and know that they will soon be going around the neighborhood to gather as much candy as they can (All the chocolate for mom).
As I get older and holidays become more and more expensive (can I get an Amen?!), I have began to wonder what the history of the holidays we celebrate are. Where did Halloween start? Why was it celebrated?
So I did a little digging….
Halloween goes all the way back to the Pagan festival called Samhain which occurred on October 31. The word “Pagan” stems from the 4th century Roman Empire “polytheism” or the worship of more than one God. WHOA! Hold up… So that means that, as a christian woman, I am allowing my children to celebrate a holiday that seems to go against our beliefs?
Stay with me for a minute.
Trick Or Treating & Costumes
Hundreds of years ago, poor people would dress up as saints to go door to door and would sing songs and quote verses. Their children would go with them as ask for “soul cakes” or biscuits. Basically, the poor would go door to door and beg for food.
Over time, the Romans invaded Britain and brought their festivals and rituals with them. The Britain people began dressing in costumes (animal hides) to disguise themselves from ghosts. The ritual began to spread across the land.
This is how candy and costumes tie together
As the animal hide concept spread from country to country, a couple of young Irish boys thought it would be funny to dress up in a scary, monstrous looking get up and go door to door to scare their neighbors. Although the story is kind of funny, I’m sure their neighborhood was terrified. No on had ever done anything like that up until that point. And that was that folks! Everyone began to dress scary on Halloween. They would go door to door and prank each other.
How did America begin Halloween?
As Irish immigrants came to the United States in large numbers, the holiday made its way across the Atlantic. Trick or treaters would go door to door in hopes of a treat. If they didn’t receive one, they would prank that household. As the pranks took place every year, fellow Americans got smarter. By the early to mid 1900’s (not long ago) the candy concept became popular. Households would hand candy to the dressed up children in hopes that they would not fall victim to the pranks (And it WORKED!).
Try Brain food to keep alert and energized while keeping track of the kids on Halloween night! Stay focused, energized, and prepared for what the night has in store.
Halloween became very popular in the United States as the costume wearing, candy munching holiday but Puritans didn’t approve because of the Pagan roots behind it. Therefore, they would not celebrate.
Did you know that Jack O’ Lanterns were actually hollowed out gourds used as lanterns?
Halloween Today
Over time, Christianity took over and aided in modernizing the holiday into what we celebrate today. In most of Europe and North America, Halloween is celebrated as a nonreligious holiday. Though it does stem from Pagans, Halloween has evolved into a night that we all dress up, get candy, bob for apples, and tell spooky stories with friends and family. Nothing more than that!
If you are anything like me, when my kids go to bed it’s time to find ALL the chocolate (sorry, not sorry). The next morning is the perfect time for a cup of ThermoRoast Coffee so us moms don’t feel guilty… about the calories anyways.
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