Why Do We Celebrate Halloween?

Every year, naysayers wax lyrical about how Halloween is an American import. But is it? Definitely not. Here’s a brief history of the spookiest night of the year, plus where some of the traditions come from.

What Is The Origin Of Halloween?

All Saints’ Day (aka All Hallows’ Day) is the origin of Halloween, with ‘Hallowe’en’ a contraction of ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ – the night before All Hallows’ Day. All Saints Day is an annual Christian feast day in which, as the title implies, all saints are celebrated, both known and unknown. It was originally celebrated closer to Easter and Pentecost, but gradually shifted to 1 November. In the Christian calendar, the next day, 2 November, is All Souls Day: a day of prayer and remembrance of the departed. In Mexico, both days are celebrated as ‘Dia de los Muertos’ – Day of the Dead. This all said, some theories suggest Halloween evolved from the Celtic harvest festival of Samhain and was Christianised as All Hallows’ Day.

The associations with the dead have transformed into the Halloween we know today: about ghosts and spirits, gradually transforming to encapsulate monsters, horror, the macabre and the supernatural.

And that particularly American flavour? This can be traced back to Irish and Scottish immigration to North America from the 19th century onwards, with their original customs gradually transforming into the Halloween festivities we know today. For example, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns (which started in Scotland as carving turnips), trick or treating (aka guising in Scots), dressing in fearsome costumes, apple bobbing, telling scary stories and lighting bonfires – though, in the UK, we usually save the latter for 5 November.

Who Celebrates Halloween?

The popularity of Halloween in the US and Canada has led to a spread of the festivities across the continent, including in Brazil, Ecuador and Chile. Across the Atlantic, the UK celebrates Halloween, as does most of continental Europe. Elsewhere, Australia and New Zealand celebrate as well as Japan and some other parts of Asia. As mentioned above, in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated instead.

What Is Halloween Celebrating?

So, when you don your scary costume and carve your pumpkin, what is it all in aid of? While the holiday has evolved to incorporate lots of sweets and wasteful decorations, at its core, Halloween commemorates the dead, from saints to departed family members. Historically, a large part of the festivities would be visiting the graves of your relatives, lighting a candle and sitting with them. In Mexico, this tradition persists: Dia de los Muertos involves building an altar (or ‘ofrenda’) filled with the deceased’s favourite foods and beverages alongside their photos, encouraging their souls to visit so they can hear the prayers of the living.

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