Halloween: A History
Celebrated every October 31, Halloween has a history that stretches back thousands of years. What began as a Celtic ritual called Samhain has become one of the most widely celebrated holidays the world over.
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of harvest season, and marks the beginning of a cold, long winter. At these festivals, towns would have large bonfires to protect themselves from malicious spirits and offer security for the winter. People donned masks and costumes to hide from the spirits. These festivals were held on October 31, when people believed that the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest.
In the 8th century, the Catholic Church designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day to honor saints and martyrs. One tradition from All Saints’ Day called ‘souling,’ where children would travel from door to door asking for offerings for the dead, specifically cake, eventually became trick-or-treating. The traditions of Samhain slowly merged with the Catholic holiday, creating a new celebration called All Hallows’ Eve, on the night of October 31.
Around the 18th century, Ireland began to participate in All Hallow’s Eve. The Irish folktale of “Stingy Jack” explains the origin of the jack-o-lantern. In the tale, Jack, a drunk man, makes a series of deals with the Devil, preventing him from getting into Heaven when he dies. The Devil gives Jack a burning coal for light, which Jack places into a hollowed-out turnip, thus creating the jack-o-lantern. Religious persecution of the Irish drove many of them to immigrate to America bringing Stingy Jack with them. Because pumpkins are harvested in September and October, they were carved to represent this tale, making them another part of the classic Halloween traditions today.
As Halloween spread throughout America, it slowly shifted from a superstitious and solemn night to a community-centered celebration. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, parties that focused on games, food, and festive costumes became more popular, keeping the tradition of the Celtic masks. By the 1920s, Halloween had lost most of its spiritual meaning, instead turning into a secular holiday.
After World War II, sugar rationing ended, and candy companies began to promote Halloween as a family-friendly candy-filled occasion. Communities organized trick-or-treating routes, and costumes grew more creative and commercialized, most inspired by pop culture or traditional folklore. Pumpkin carving, an ode to Stingy Jack, and decorations became staples of the season.
Each era of Halloween has added new layers; bonfires became lanterns, and solemn rituals grew into lively community gatherings. Halloween’s long journey through history shows how traditions can adapt and endure, shaped by time, and the people who keep the traditions alive.
The Modern Spirit of Halloween
In the last 70 years, Halloween has boomed with popularity. Streets filled with children, in homemade and store-bought costumes, going door-to-door for candy became a popular tradition. Television and advertisements began shaping the way Americans saw Halloween, introducing spooky themes and creative ideas for costumes. This period marked the transformation of Halloween from a small, local custom into a widely-celebrated event, setting the stage for decades to come.
In the 1960s, Halloween thrived on commercials and advertisements. For example, a Halloween themed Kool-Aid advertisement from 1964 caused the brand to skyrocket. The advertisement featured multiple kids in costumes, such as ghosts and skeletons, with a large pumpkin-shaped pitcher of orange Kool-Aid.
In the 1970s, young Andrew Oberlies, now an AP Calculus teacher, celebrated by trick-or-treating with his neighborhood friends. Popular costumes of the time included characters from Scooby-Doo, Star Wars, and Transformers. During this time, safety became a growing concern during the Halloween season.
“Stories in the news and rumors made parents afraid of things like needles, razor blades, or poison in candy, especially in cities like Cleveland, [Ohio],” Oberlies said.
On October 28th, 1970, writer Judy Klemesrud wrote an article titled “Those Treats May Be Tricks” detailing the dangers of trick-or-treating.
“Last year in Oneida, N.Y., someone gave three children trick‐or‐treat apples with sewing needles in them. And in nearby Ilion, the father of a 5‐year‐old boy found a razor blade in an apple when he peeled it for the child,” Klemesrud said.
This article largely contributed to the widespread panic among parents about what may be in the treats their kids receive on Halloween.
Throughout the 1980s into the 2000s, Halloween continued to thrive as a social and community-centered holiday. Children still eagerly roamed neighborhoods in costumes inspired by popular movies and television shows from The Goonies to Batman. Communities increasingly organized local events like hayrides, pumpkin carving contests, and school parties that emphasized shared celebration and safety. Parents remained vigilant due to lingering fears about tampered candy, leading to a rise in supervision and neighborhood watch programs. By the early 2000s, Halloween had grown into a deeply ingrained cultural ritual that flourished with the changes in entertainment and media.
