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THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN Name Institution Introduction Customs and beliefs of ancient superstitions and practices have evolved into the Halloween holiday that is common nowadays. The history of the holiday is deceptive and very mysterious. “It is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31.” The word Halloween is a brief version of All Hallows’ Evening. The traditional activities carried out include bonfires, costume parties, trick-or-treating, visiting designed haunted places and carving jack-o-lanterns. (History Channel 2005) The tradition was established by Irish and Scottish immigrants to North America. In the late twentieth century, it had influence and was embraced by countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Canada, Ireland, The United Kingdom and Australia among others. The origins of Halloween Its origins are traced back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. “It is a celebration of the end of the harvesting season in the Gaelic culture.” It was a time utilized by pagans to gather a stock of survival supplies and prepare for the winter. In their tradition, the Gaels believed that on 31st October, “the boundaries that separated the world of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause mayhem such as damage crops and introduce epidemic diseases that affected the masses.” The festivals associated with Halloween at the time involved bonfires. It is also believed that the fires attracted insects which in turn attracted bats meant for various rituals. Costumes and masks were worn in an effort to imitate the evil spirits or calm them down. Part of the history of Halloween
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