By: Meghan Runte
Every October 31, Americans celebrate Halloween and the fall festivities that go along with this holiday. The Milestone recently conducted a survey of the student body about Halloween, and 96% of the 68 responding students said their family celebrates Halloween. However, few really know where Halloween comes from and where the traditions originated.
The most common response from the student survey is that Halloween originated in Ireland with 27% of students out of 68 mentioning Ireland in their answer. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, those students were correct. Halloween started at Samhain, a festival Celts celebrated in Ireland and Britain. During Samhain, Celts believed that the souls of the dead visited their homes. People would then go on a hilltop and make a bonfire in order to scare away any dark or evil spirits. Only 6% of students knew Halloween’s origins went back to the Celtic Festival.
Freshman Izzy Payne said that Halloween is “practically the best holiday,” but all she knew about the history was that it started in an ancient festival. A little over 40% of students surveyed said that Halloween was one of their favorite holidays, and another 44% said they loved Halloween, but it wasn’t in their list of favorites.
The name Halloween is derived from “All Hallows Eve” because it occurs on the evening before the Catholic feast of All Saints Day. This feast has been celebrated annually on November 1 since Pope Greogory IV “ordered its general observance” in 837 A.D. also from Britannica.
Trick-or-Treating has been a tradition for millions of families for decades and 24% out of 68 students surveyed said trick-or-treating was their favorite part about Halloween. However, according to Britannica, the name came from teens who would threaten to prank the house if the family living there did not give them a treat.
But where did the idea of gore and being frightened on Halloween come from? Brittanica said the Celts used to believe that around November 1st, “the veil between the mortal and the supernatural was thinnest.” Britannica also reported that people used to dress up as demons and ghosts, all figures that people thought hid in the night.
As we celebrate Halloween this year, remember that we are participating in centuries of tradition.
The McNicholas Milestone 