The dictionary definition doesn't help you too much, does it? It didn't for me either when I was younger and wanted to know what it all meant. I wanted to know what the costumes were for, and why did we trick-or-treat? Why was my father carving a face into our pumpkin? What, exactly, was the point of Halloween, and why did it have what seemed like 500 different names? It was sort of like Jack Skellington in the Nightmare Before Christmas searching for the meaning behind Christmas..."Interesting reaction...but what does it mean?!"
That's when I started to do some research. I started young, yes. And to my surprise, I found many different reasons for things. Here I will list information about what I have found through the years, legends, stories, and reasons why. I hope it is of some use to you in your travels. Feel free to add to what I write here, as well as correct what I screwed up, which I am sure I did somewhere in here!
What's With the Mask?
There have been more than one legend about the origin of the costumes, and I am sure all were true at some point in time. Much to many people's surprise, kids did not always dress up as Teletubbies and Power Rangers, and no, Halloween was not just a kids' holiday. It was the belief of people that on Halloween the souls of the dead returned to find bodies to posses so that they, too, could live again on Earth. So, as a way of keeping their bodies safe, people wore costumes in the forms of witches, hobgoblins, skeletons, and so on, as a way of scaring off or fooling the undead into thinking they were one of them, thus causing the undead to pass them up without a second thought.
The Celtic belief was somewhat similar to this story, as their Halloween was called Samhain. October 31 (or, rather, some time between October 31 and November 6, loosely) was the official end of summer for the Celts, and was their New Year. They believed the spirits of those who passed on in the previous year came back to find bodies to posses for the next year, as that was their only hope for an afterlife. Again, the costumes were worn to scare of the spirits so their bodies remained safe for the next year. There were some accounts that the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was believed to have been possesed by one of the spirits. This was, basically, their way of scaring off the spirits and saying "Buzz off, you stupid spooks!" Of course, this is denied.
It is also said that this custom spread after the Romans took these rituals as their own, but after awhile decided to stop sacraficing people. Maybe that was a decision made only because that made one more spirit to come and posses them next Samhain! However, Halloween was not brought to America until the 1840s. It was brought over by Irishmen fleeing the potato famine. By this time, the belief in soul possession had almost been dismissed, and the costume wearing had become more of a ritual than a need.
Trick-or-Treat, Smell My Feet....
Ok, I have heard plenty of stories about trick-or-treating, and again, I am sure these were all true at some point in time, somewhere in the world. And of course I have my favorite legend. This one deals with fairies, the small, winged creatures that look like people and have been made to look cute and sweet in modern times. It was said in this legend, that on the night of Halloween the fairies would go to the homes where children slept and kidnap them for their own use. Any person who got in their way, was usually trapped in some way, or had a horrible spell cast on them. People in these times were so afraid of the fairies, that on Halloween night they would leave trays in front of their homes with offerings of food and sweets in hopes that the fairies would look kindly on these offerings and pass the house, leaving all inside safe. But, like in every town, there would be children who went from house to house, collecting the food and sweets, and eating them themselves. The next morning, the people would go outside and, seeing the food gone, believe the fairies had stopped there for the food and passed their house in good spirits until the next year. Makes you wonder why the fairies didn't just nab the kids taking their food, doesn't it? Oh, and why only one day out of the year? Why not take the kids every night? More of a profit in my opinion...or more of whatever the fairies supposedly did with the kids!
Yet another story about trick-or-treating was not started by the Celts but a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven. [And eventually prayers weren't enough, they needed money. But that is an entirely different story, and one that I do believe has been banished by the Christians.]
My, What Devlish Pumpkin You Have!
Pumpkins are carved into Jack O'Lanterns for Halloween. We bake them into Pumpkin pie. Tales of terror have used pumpkins to create an eerie atmosphere. How did the pumpkin become associated with Halloween?
Well the answer is in the tale of an unfortunate soul named Jack. According to Irish folklore a man named Jack, well known for his drunkenness and quick temper got very drunk at a local pub on All Hallows Eve. As his life began to slip away the Devil appeared to claim Jack's soul. Jack, eager to stay alive, begged the Devil to let him have just one more drink before he died. The Devil agreed. Jack was short of money and asked the Devil if he wouldn't mind assuming the shape of a sixpence so Jack could pay for the drink and after the transaction the Devil could change back. Seeing how the Devil is quite gullible in almost all of these folk tales, he agreed again to help Jack out and changed himself into a sixpence. Jack immediately grabbed the coin and shoved it into his wallet which just happened to have a cross-shaped catch on it. The Devil, now imprisoned in the wallet screamed with rage and ordered Jack to release him. Jack agreed to free the Devil from his wallet if the Devil agreed not to bother Jack for a whole year. Again, the Devil agreed to Jack's terms. Realizing he now had a new lease on life, at least for a year, Jack decided to mend his ways. For a time Jack was good to his wife and children and began to attend church and give charity. Eventually Jack slipped back into his evil ways.
The next All Hallows Eve as Jack was heading home the Devil appeared and demanded that Jack accompany him. Once again Jack, not too eager to die, distracted the devil by pointing to a nearby apple tree. Jack convinced the Devil to get an apple out of the tree and even offered to hoist the Devil up on his shoulders to help him get the apple. The Devil, fooled once again by Jack, Climbed into the tree and plucked an apple. Jack took out a knife and carved a cross into the trunk of the tree. Trapped once again the Devil howled to be released and told Jack he would give him 10 years of peace in exchange for his release. Jack, on the other hand, insisted the Devil never bother Jack again. The Devil agreed and was released.
Almost a year later Jack's body , unable to keep up with Jack's evil ways, gave out and Jack died. When Jack tried to enter Heaven he was told that because of his meanness he would not be allowed into Heaven. When Jack attempted to gain entry into Hell,the Devil, still smarting from years of humiliation refused Jack admission. However, being the kind Devil that he was, the Devil threw Jack a piece of coal to help Jack find his way in the dark of limbo. Jack put the piece of coal into a turnip and it became known as a Jack O'Lantern. On All Hallows Eve if you look you can still see Jack's flame burning dimly as he searches for a home.
The use of Jack O'Lanterns as festival lights for Halloween is a custom that descended from the Irish who used carved out turnips or beets as lanterns. On Halloween, these lights represented the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead. When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since. But my question is this...why pumpkins? If it was Irish, shouldn't they have used potatoes?! I'm Irish...I can be weird like this!
Repent, Jack Skellington!
In recent years, regardless of it's history, Halloween has become a thing of evil and for some reason we are going to hell for celebrating such a holiday. It captures the horror and death in our world, and stuffs all things macabre into one day. Which, I suppose, can be seen as evil in the eyes of those who don't see it for what it really is. Halloween is really a celebration of the dead. It is a time when we are suppossed to remember those in our lives who are no longer with us, in physical form at least.
Halloween is also, in modern times, a night for the kiddies to have fun and get free candy, as well as for people to realize the fears in their own minds. What with the horror films that flood the TV and all those interesting things. In a way, it has almost become a way for every person to recapture their own childhood and to relive memories of days gone by. So in celebrating the dead loved ones, we are all also celebrating dead times, and this is one day out of the year where you can really bring all things dead back to the land of the living.
Evil. That is a strong word, is it not? So much in these days are evil. The fact that Halloween is also a Pagan holiday [Samhain] probably does not help the fact that people are using it as an evil day. What is evil, though? Anything that can be seen as fun? Anything that isn't productive to the Christian God? I, honestly, believe that God enjoys Halloween as much as the next person and deity. I mean, come on. A bunch of kids running around dressed as Darth Mal and LaLa the Teletubbie has got to bring a chuckle to the face of God.
Right now, Halloween is the least of threat this world has. Maybe way back in the day it could have been considered evil, but right now the entire message of what Halloween really is has vanished. Now it is just a kids' holiday, full of pumpkin pie and face paint. Very few people see it as a celebration of the dead. And if it is evil to remember the ones in your past that have died...well, then what next? Back to the unmarked graves? Or will people except the fact that honoring the dead and dead memories is not evil? I guess only time will tell.
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