Halloween is the time of year many people look forward to. It’s a holiday where you can be anything without anyone knowing it’s you. Halloween is the night when our fears come alive. As the weather continues to cool and become more chill, the nights grow dark, making it the perfect time for Halloween to make its appearance. Every night becomes more anticipated as Halloween creeps around the corner to the front door steps. Trick-or-treating is a popular activity for this special night; just remember to be careful. Look both ways, watch out for your surroundings, and always be aware of any spooky Halloween scares.
Although modern Halloween is set to be scary and dark, it was not always previously celebrated that way. In fact, some individuals refuse to celebrate Halloween at all, due to the meaning of the holiday itself. Halloween has many superstitions attached to it, some of which involve religions.
Halloween has been around for over 2,000 years after originating from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This celebration was a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer; people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. But, what does trick-or-treating have anything to do with this? Trick-or-treating wasn’t an event that took place in the original tradition of the Celtic festival of Samhain, instead, trick-or-treating evolved from a tradition during which people impersonated spirits, or “souls of the dead.” They believed that by doing this, people would receive offerings on the spirits’ behalf.
However, because the meaning behind Halloween originally involves the dead spirits, certain people belonging to religions choose to not engage with the holiday. Some people decide to stay away from this holiday, while others celebrate in a non-classic Halloween manner by leaving out costumes and scary decorations.
Along with trick-or-treating, thrills, and decorating, myths are also involved with Halloween. Some myths explain the creation of Halloween as of November 1. Demons, fairies, and spirits of the dead were thought to have walked Earth the night before, October 31, when the separation between the worlds of the dead and living was thin. As time has moved on, the creation of myths has not ceased. With each year, new myths about Halloween continue to evolve, creating an ever-changing expectation of the holiday.
Regardless of whether these myths are believed to be true or not, Halloween is still a special celebration for many. So as trick-or-treaters or party-goers head out for the spooky night, remember to stay safe, careful, and cautious, but have a good time!
