What is Halloween and how is it celebrated?

You think you know what Halloween is all about, but I don't think you really do. It is worth noting that Halloween has not always been associated only with candy and pumpkins.

What is Halloween? It's a simple question that you can easily answer if you've ever played trick-or-treating. Or... Not so simple? Most people don't know the true origins of this now commercialized holiday.

As it exists today in the United States, Halloween is a day when we can all indulge in the darker, spookier side of our lives and enjoy lots of candy. It's a lot of fun, a pinch of fear and absolutely everything besides something serious.

But historically, the holiday was strictly religious in nature and had great significance for the culture of the people who celebrated it. Before you decorate your halls with ghosts, goblins and various spooky decorations this year, find out how America's favorite holiday came to be.

Read also: How do they celebrate Halloween in the United States?

Celtic tradition

Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain. It was celebrated by the peoples who lived on the territory of modern Ireland, Scotland and England, as well as in the countries of Northern Europe.
About 2,000 years ago, the three-day pagan religious festival began around Oct. 31 and was intended to pay tribute to the gods for a good harvest as well as to prepare for the "dark half of the year."

The ancient Celts believed that on this day the line between the world of the living and the world of the dead was blurred - meaning that ghosts from outside could visit the living and various monsters could enter their homes.

Those who celebrated the feast sought to ward off as much evil as possible. They performed special rituals to keep monsters, witches, and evil fairies in fear; they told stories about mythological heroes and the afterlife; they tried to protect themselves from evil spirits. How? By dressing up in monster costumes so as not to be kidnapped or eaten by real monsters.

How the rituals changed

Celtic priests (also known as druids) began the feast with a bonfire to welcome ghosts back to the world of the living. During this ritual they clutched crops and animals as offerings to the gods. They also focused on the temporary return of their loved ones to this world. Children, in fact, played games with the dead in their homes, and adults engaged in conversation with them.

But this was only the darker side of the holiday, which was inspired by many of the Halloween traditions that we know today. People also tried to protect themselves from evil spirits who were "on the lookout for mischief. For example, in addition to clothing designed to disguise themselves and fool these spirits, people carried treats as bribes in case they encountered them.

They also carried so-called jack-o-lanterns made from turnips, not only to illuminate the darkness, but also as another way to ward off these bad spirits. (Turnips were replaced by the ubiquitous pumpkins much later by Irish immigrants.)

How Christianity Changed Everything

It is no coincidence that several Catholic holidays fall directly on Halloween. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III moved the feast of All Martyrs' Day from May 13 to November 1 and turned it into All Saints' Day. Then, in 1000 A.D., the Catholic Church added All Souls Day on November 2 (which was dedicated to praying for the dead).

Why? To help further the transition from paganism to Catholicism. And it worked. All Souls Day embraced many traditions of Samhain celebrations, including bonfires, parades, and costumes, although now people mostly dress up as saints, angels, and devils. Subsequently, October 31 was called All Saints' Eve...and then Halloween.

When Halloween appeared in the United States

In early colonial America the celebration of Halloween was not easy because of the [strict religious beliefs of the new population, but it was more commonly celebrated in Maryland and the American South. And as Europeans mingled with Native Americans, the tradition evolved even further.

Halloween celebrations mingled with fall festivals and included festive public events, singing and dancing, ghost stories, and pranks. But it wasn't until the second half of the 19th century that Halloween really became popular in the United States. Why? Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine shared their ideas and holiday traditions with Americans.

Read also: 13 ways to celebrate Halloween around the world

How Halloween became the hilariously fun holiday we know and love today

In this new bizarre context, Americans adopted the Celtic tradition of dressing up and turned it into what we now know as trick-or-treating. By the 1930s, Halloween had become almost completely secularized, and All Saints' Day became more of a religious holiday. To this day.
Some pious people are adamantly opposed to celebrating the holiday as anything other than a religious day.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Halloween has become increasingly lucrative and more money has been invested in it. In fact, Americans were expected to spend $9 billion on Halloween in 2018, according to the National Retail Federation, a number that continues to increase every year.

So how is Halloween celebrated these days? You can probably answer that question for yourself: costumes, parties, toys, and candy appear in stores earlier and earlier every year.

What Halloween looks like in other countries

It's safe to say that Americans are obsessed with Halloween, but not every country in the world is. How is Halloween celebrated elsewhere? In Ireland and Canada, the celebrations are similar, but in England, Halloween is generally not celebrated at all. According to History.com, it was a result of the Protestant Reformation.

Instead, Great Britain celebrates a completely unrelated holiday around the same time (November 5, to be exact). It is Guy Fawkes Day, the idea of which is related to the execution of the infamous traitor. The celebration includes bonfires, burning effigies, and fireworks.

In Mexico, people celebrate Da de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Although it's celebrated almost immediately after Halloween, it's very different in tone and intent, says National Geographic. Yes, people dress up as colorful skeletons and celebrate Day of the Dead in the streets, but the point of the holiday is to honor the dead and welcome their souls back to Earth at this time, not to fear them.

To celebrate, people also decorate the graves of their ancestors with decorations and put food there to let the deceased know that they have not forgotten them.