With Halloween rolling in, it’s time for some fun facts and treats about Halloween history! Ever wonder how this holiday began? Curious about its more romantic side? (Yes, there is a good chunk of romance with this holiday!)
Halloween existed for centuries and was brought to life by the Celts. The Celts were a group of people who originated in central Europe and spread throughout both Europe and Asia. The Celts were also Pagan. The trend of holidays coming from paganism continues. This one started around 2,000 years ago, though back then, it wasn’t called Halloween; it was called Samhain.
Samhain is a spiritual tradition that marks the end of summer and the welcoming of the harvest. It starts on the evening of October 31 and goes to November 1. During this time the Celts believed that the veil between our world and the spirits was at its thinnest, so thin that one could simply enter the other realm. Because of this, they began to wear disguises to confuse and ward off any evil spirits who sought mischief from them.
However, such a holiday overlapped with All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day. Around 500 years after the start of Samhain, the church began to have issues with the holiday. They saw Samhain as a celebration of the Devil, as it began on All Hallows’ Eve, the day used to celebrate Satan, and it was focused around spirits and evil (which is a big ‘NO’ in the Bible). Because of this, the holiday used to ward off spirits was seen as one that celebrated them in the church’s eyes. This is also when Samhain was renamed with the title we know today, Halloween. An abbreviated version of All Hallows’ Eve.
Strangely enough, around a century ago, Halloween got another revision. This one turned the more spiritual holiday into a more romantic one. Newspapers and guides began presenting a new way to decorate and celebrate. Two main games garnered popularity from the teens, both centered around finding one’s soulmate. The first one was a fun, but slightly dangerous game. An apple and a lit candle were tied onto a thick string and spun around. Biting the apple meant that you and whoever else bit it were soulmates. Missing the apple, however, meant you got a mouthful of hot wax and you and that person were not meant to be. The second game is still well known today but has been changed a lot. Bloody Mary, was originally a game where someone would summon Bloody Mary, and as you look into the mirror you would see your soulmate looking back. Alas, should a skull or full skeleton appear, you would be fated to die alone without ever knowing or finding your soulmate. Nowadays, Bloody Mary has changed from a game of love into a game of courage, where only the bravest and foolish dare summon her and her given wrath.
Unsurprisingly, the romance side of Halloween didn’t stick for long and after a while, it returned to the spooky holiday we now know and love. Now romance and warding off evil have turned frightful. People now embrace the spirits and call upon them on this dark, creepy night. The demons rise and with them, free candy.
