With the coming of November, stores take a moment from their Christmas festivities to turn into what should be considered a horror show. Skulls, ghosts, and bats have become a staple during Halloween. And at the center of it all, the bright-eyed youth. Little kids with white blankets over their heads and holes cut out and holding jack-o’-lanterns filled with candy are the poster children of Halloween. But why? How could a seemingly scary holiday attract the most innocent?
Historically, Halloween was more about remembering the dead. There are some debates on the actual origins of Halloween. Some say it has its roots in Paganism, which would explain the supernatural elements celebrated within the holiday.
There is a festival called the Samhain in Celtic countries, mainly Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. This annual celebration marks the end of their harvest season and welcomes winter at the end of October. In the Irish language, Samhain is also their name for November– today’s Spooky Month! It is said that the world between the living and the dead becomes blurred during this day as the world transitions from harvest to winter. Because of this, pagans take the opportunity to perform rituals to honor their loved ones and communicate with spirits from the otherworlds.
Many of our beloved Halloween traditions stem from Samhain. Carving of pumpkins to make jack-o’-lanterns originate here. They were used to ward off evil spirits from one’s home. Trick-or-treating was also used to ward off spirits, but this time, the costumes were believed to confuse those spirits and protect the wearer from them. Of course, nowadays they are used as decorations and a fun activity for the young ones respectively.
Like Christmas, however, Halloween became estranged from its religious origins over time. Instead of commemorating the dead or warding off evil spirits, the holiday became synonymous with trick-or-treating– an activity common among young children to dress up and go door to door asking for candy. Over time, other cultures would pick up on the holiday and join in on the practices without carrying over their religious meanings. This meant that the holiday eventually became sanitized of its supernatural aspects.
While ghosts and the like are still used in supernatural horror media, children dress up as monsters. What comes from this is the scuttling of little ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and witches in the dead of the night. They come door-to-door, threatening a “trick” if not given a “treat.”
Just like how many kids love dressing up as Superman or Elsa, some kids also like dressing up as mummies or Ghostface from Scream. It’s a harmless way for them to confront their fears and socialize with their community. There’s also the aspect of candy involved. Children love candy, and that is a pretty universal fact. All these are reasons why a parent may even encourage celebrating Halloween.
Of course, Halloween isn’t just for children. Wiccans(modern-day pagans) still use the day to celebrate Witches’ New Year. Adults from all over the world enjoy the decoration part of the holiday and the pumpkin carving– which involves a lot of sharp objects that children definitely can’t handle. Nowadays, Halloween is as much about celebrating the horrors as commemorating loved ones and welcoming the coming of winter.
By Nicole Samson