What Does Halloween Mean & What is it All About?

A History of Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls Day and Tradition

Sep 11, 2009

More than candy, trick-or-treat, costumes, pumpkins or other season traditions, Halloween goes back to the Celt's last day of their calendar year, All Hallow's Eve.

Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, Hollantide, Hallowmas, Samhain, All Saints' Day, All Souls Day: what do they all mean? The history and evolution of these terms comes from the crossing over of certain aspects of paganism and Christianity through the years, thereby not only affecting religions but affecting cultures as well.

The History of Halloween and All Saints' Day

The actual details of this eventual evolvement to Halloween are murky due to the lack of recorded history during this time but they are no less fascinating. It was the belief of the Celts that each year held two parts; the light and the dark. Samhain (pr. saw - wehn') can be literally translated as summer's end, or meaning the end of the light. This day, November 1st, was considered to be the dawn of the new year on the Celtic calendar.

When Christianity began to spread across the lands, the name was changed from Samhain to Hallowmas, also known as All Saints' Day. The ritual of all Saints' Day was to honor the souls of the dead from the previous year, thereby defaulting the preceding day to be known as All Hallow's Eve or Hollantide, what we now refer to as Halloween.

Trick or Treat is a Combination of Celtic and Christian Influence

The early history known of the Celts is that on All Hallow's Eve, the belief was that spirits of the dead would try to take over the bodies of the living. The idea of scaring the spirits away with bonfires and scary costumes or practical jokes and confusing tricks is probably the basis of what is understood to be the trick part of trick-or-treat. It is possible, but undocumented, that the carving of a pumpkin in order to create a scary facade may have begun at this time as well.

On November 2nd, All Souls Day, the poor would go from house to house and ask for cakes or other such sweet fare. The greater the generosity of those more fortunate, the more prayers would be said for their dead relations. This is likely the beginnings of the treat part of trick-or-treat. Over the years, the Christian influence in these rituals has brought these traditions together.

Halloween and its Start in North America

In the days of the Roman Empire, many Celts were marched out of different parts of Central Europe and moved eastward to France, England and especially Ireland. The annual festival of All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day remained with them, as the annual Halloween celebration is not very common in Europe anymore.

During the time of the potato famine in Ireland in the mid 19th century, many people fled the hunger and devastation to find a new home in North America. The tradition of Halloween emigrated to the new land with them and it is still very popular in North America today. The traditional symbol of Halloween is the carved pumpkin squash, commonly referred to as a Jack O'Lantern which further strengthens the Irish influence of the day.

Halloween has Become a Tradition for Children and Adults Alike

Halloween is about all types of costumes and dress-up now, not just scary costumes for frightening the spirits of the dead. Halloween house parties are more popular than ever in the interest of safety. Many shopping malls have planned events, particularly in climates with inclement weather that prevent trick-or-treat from being done in comfort.

The old tradition of bobbing for apples or what was originally known as apple-ducking, stated the person who came up with an apple first would be the first one to marry in the new year. The modern version simply has the first one to bite into an apple declared the winner. Bobbing for apples partly explains while children from some parts of the continent were taught to shout 'Trick-or-Treat' when approaching a doorway, many others were encouraged to call out 'Halloween Apples'.

While the current forms of celebration are vastly different from the origins of Halloween, it's interesting to note how the holiday and its traditions have evolved into what is known today.

The copyright of the article What Does Halloween Mean & What is it All About? in Ancient History is owned by Deborah Read. Permission to republish What Does Halloween Mean & What is it All About? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.