Halloween 🎃 👻

Next date: Thursday, 31 October 2024 | 12:00 AM

Halloween traditions have evolved over centuries, shaped by various cultures, beliefs, and influences, resulting in the multifaceted community gatherings of today.

 

Here are some events being held in NWTas

 

Here are the origins for some Halloween traditions:

Circa 2000 BCE - 100 CE: Celtic Festival of Samhain* - is a feast marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred. To ward off these spirits, people lit bonfires for warmth and protection, made offerings of food and donned costumes.

Over time, these traditions merged with Roman, Medieval and Christian customs, evolving into the modern celebration of Halloween.

Circa 100 CE - 400 CE: The Roman festival of Pomona introduces apple-related traditions.

Circa 700 CE: Christian tradition - The night before All Saints' Day (Nov 1) candlelight vigils were held offering prayers for the dead, prior to the feast dedicated to honouring the saints and martyrs. Hallowe'en is a Scottish contraction of "All Hallows' Evening" - "All Hallows' Even."

5th - 15th Century: European Medieval beliefs associate witches gathering on Oct 31 with Samhain.

Early 1800s: The Gothic literature genre influence the haunted houses and spooky themes. 

Late 1800s: Invention of Candy Corn which is now a Halloween icon

Early 1900s: Emergence of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties in the USA

1920s - 1950s: Classic horror films contribute to Halloween's spooky image.

Late 1900s: Pranks, tricks and mischief become associated with Halloween.

Early 2000s:  Halloween primarily celebrated in English-speaking countries, gains popularity in other parts of the world. The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos becomes intertwined with Halloween traditions in some regions.

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Halloween Parties: Halloween parties have a more recent origin, emerging in the early 20th century as a way to divert the focus from the superstitious and spooky aspects of the holiday to a more community-oriented and enjoyable event.

Trick-or-Treating: This tradition has Celtic roots, during Samhain 31 Oct/1Nov harvest offerings were set out for spirits to ensure their goodwill including grains, vegetables, and fruits.  In medieval Europe, especially in Britain and Ireland, a tradition known as "mumming" involved people dressing in costumes, going door-to-door, and performing plays or tricks in exchange for food or coins. Then as Christianity spread, poor individuals, often children, would go from door to door, offering prayers for the deceased in exchange for "soul cakes" on All Souls' Day (Nov 2). 
Later European immigrants to the United States brought Halloween customs with them and helped popularise them,  the practice of children going door-to-door for candy and treats in their neighbourhood became a more recognizable part of Halloween.

Jack-O'-Lanterns: This tradition originated in Irish and Scottish folklore, featuring the tale of Stingy Jack, a tricky individual who outwitted the devil. Jack was condemned to roam the earth with only a glowing coal inside a carved turnip. Irish immigrants later adopted pumpkins for their jack-o'-lanterns in the United States.

Costumes: Dressing in costumes on Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic belief that disguising oneself would help avoid detection by malevolent spirits. 

Bobbing for Apples: This tradition goes back to ancient Roman times celebrating the harvest and goddess of fruit and trees, Pomona. Apples were associated with her, and the game symbolised the upcoming winter season.

Witchcraft and Black Cats: The association between witches and Halloween comes from the medieval European belief in witches and their gatherings on October 31. Black cats were also believed to be witches' familiars, influencing the Halloween icon.

Haunted Houses: The idea of haunted houses and spooky attractions is a more modern development, rooted in the Gothic literature of the 19th century and the desire for thrilling entertainment during the Halloween season. Notable works in the Gothic genre include Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" featuring dark, eerie settings such as castles, mansions and ruins.

Candy Corn: This iconic Halloween candy was created in the 1880s by George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Company. Its shape resembling corn kernels and distinct tri-colored appearance resembling the colors of autumn leaves, symbolised the harvest in the United States.

Horror Movies: The association between horror movies and Halloween can be traced back to the mid-20th century when classic horror films like "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" gained popularity during the Halloween season.

Day of the Dead: Associated with Mexican culture, Dia de los Muertos, a holiday honoring deceased loved ones, aligns with the Christian observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on November 1&2 has blended with Halloween traditions in some regions.

When