The History of Halloween

SouthCarolinaETV

27 Oct 201706:27

Summary

TLDRHalloween's origins trace back 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the Celtic New Year's end and a thin veil between the worlds of the living and spirits. Celts offered food to appease spirits and donned costumes for protection. The Roman Catholic Church later transformed Samhain into the three-day All Hallowtide, incorporating All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. Traditions like souling and guising emerged, with people in costumes going door-to-door for treats. In the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these customs to North America. Victorian-era interest in the occult and spiritualism revived old traditions, including Halloween parties with games like apple bobbing. Trick-or-treating, initially a mysterious custom, became mainstream after children in Philadelphia donated their Halloween collections to UNICEF, leading to UNICEF's Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. Today, Halloween is a blend of traditions, focusing on the supernatural and communal sharing of food.

Takeaways

🎃 Halloween originated about 2,000 years ago as a Celtic holiday called Samhain, marking the end of the Celtic year.
👻 The Celts believed October 31 was a night when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was thin, and they would offer food and drink to appease spirits.
😈 Celts would dress in costumes to protect themselves from vengeful spirits on this night.
👵🏻 It was also a time when departed souls were believed to return to the world, so empty chairs were left for them at feasts.
🏰 The Roman Catholic Church later transformed Samhain into All Hallowtide, a three-day festival starting with All Hallows Eve on October 31.
🍰 In the 15th century, the tradition of 'souling' emerged where people would go door-to-door singing for soul cakes to appease the dead.
🇬🇧 In the 16th century, Scottish and Irish 'guising' involved dressing in costumes and going door-to-door for food and money.
🌎 The traditions of guising were brought to North America by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century.
🎉 Victorian times saw a revival of old traditions and an interest in the occult, with Halloween parties focusing on young adults and romance.
🍎 Trick-or-treating was not a Victorian practice, but it became popular in the 20th century, especially after children in Philadelphia donated their Halloween collections to UNICEF, leading to UNICEF winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.

Q & A

When did the holiday of Halloween originate?
-Halloween originated around 2,000 years ago and was celebrated by the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
What was the original name of the holiday that is now known as Halloween?
-The original name of the holiday was Samhain.
What did the Celts believe about the night of October 31st?
-The Celts believed that October 31st was a night when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was very thin, allowing spirits and fairies to cross over.
Why did the Celts put out food and drink on Halloween?
-The Celts put out food and drink to appease the spirits and ensure a prosperous year ahead.
How did the Celts protect themselves from vengeful spirits on Halloween?
-The Celts would dress up in costumes as a means of protection from any vengeful spirits that might attack them on this night.
What was the significance of leaving empty chairs during the feast on Halloween for the Celts?
-Leaving empty chairs was a tradition to welcome the departed souls of relatives who were believed to return to the world on Halloween night.
How did the Roman Catholic Church attempt to change the pagan rituals of Halloween?
-The Roman Catholic Church attempted to change the pagan rituals by supplanting their own holidays onto the pagan holidays, changing Samhain to the three-day festival known as All Hallowtide.
What is the significance of the three-day festival of All Hallowtide?
-All Hallowtide starts with All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on October 31, followed by All Hallows Day (All Saints Day) on November 1, and ends with All Souls Day on November 2.
What was the tradition of 'souling' and how did it relate to Halloween?
-Souling was a tradition starting in the 15th century where people went door to door, often in verse or song, and were given 'soul cakes' in exchange, which were meant to appease the dead.
How did the tradition of 'guising' in Scotland and Ireland differ from 'souling'?
-Guising was similar to souling but included dressing up in costumes and going door to door asking for food and money.
When did the tradition of trick-or-treating become popular in North America?
-The tradition of trick-or-treating became popular in North America in the 19th century with the influx of Irish and Scottish immigrants.
What event in 1950 helped to solidify the custom of trick-or-treating in the United States?
-In 1950, a group of children in Philadelphia donated all the money they collected on Halloween night to UNICEF, which became an annual tradition until 1965.
Why did trick-or-treating lose its mysterious aspect after 1965?
-After UNICEF won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for the efforts of children collecting money on Halloween, trick-or-treating became a widely expected and accepted custom.

Outlines

00:00

🎃 Origins of Halloween

The paragraph discusses the ancient origins of Halloween, which began around 2,000 years ago among the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival, originally called Samhain, marked the end of the Celtic year and was believed to be a night when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was thin. The Celts would offer food and drink to appease spirits and dress in costumes for protection. The Roman Catholic Church later transformed Samhain into the All Hallowtide, a three-day festival starting with All Hallows Eve (October 31), followed by All Hallows Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). The tradition of 'souling' emerged in the 15th century, where people went door-to-door singing or reciting verses in exchange for soul cakes. In the 16th century, 'guising' started in Scotland and Ireland, where people dressed in costumes and went door-to-door asking for food and money. These traditions were brought to North America by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century.

05:00

🍬 Modern Halloween Traditions

This paragraph describes the evolution of Halloween traditions into the modern era. It highlights the Victorian era's interest in the occult and spiritualism, which saw the revival of old traditions and the inclusion of games centered around young people and romance, such as apple bobbing. The custom of trick-or-treating was not practiced during the Victorian period, but it became popular in the 20th century, particularly after a group of children in Philadelphia donated their Halloween night collections to UNICEF in 1950. This act turned into an annual tradition and contributed to UNICEF winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. The paragraph concludes by noting that Halloween is a mix of various traditions and customs, but the core elements of recognizing the supernatural and sharing food have remained constant throughout history.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31st, primarily in the United States, Canada, and other countries influenced by Western culture. It is a time traditionally associated with the supernatural and the dead, and it has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. In the video, Halloween is described as a time when the veil between the living and the dead is thin, allowing spirits to interact with the world of the living.

💡Celts

The Celts were an ancient Indo-European people who lived in parts of Europe, including Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are credited with the origin of Halloween, as they celebrated the festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

💡Samhain

Samhain is the ancient Celtic festival from which Halloween is derived. It was a time to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and it was believed to be a liminal time when spirits and fairies could move between the worlds. The Celts would leave food and drink out as offerings to these spirits to ensure a prosperous year.

💡All Hallowtide

All Hallowtide is a three-day festival established by the Roman Catholic Church to Christianize the pagan holiday of Samhain. It begins with All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) on October 31st, followed by All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day) on November 1st, and concludes with All Souls' Day on November 2nd. The video explains that this was an attempt to replace pagan rituals with Christian observances.

💡Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes were a type of food given to those who went door-to-door singing or reciting verses during the tradition of souling, which started in the 15th century. It was believed that by giving soul cakes, the giver would receive good fortune and the souls of the dead would be appeased. This practice is directly related to the later tradition of trick-or-treating.

💡Guise

Guise, also known as 'guising,' was a Scottish and Irish tradition similar to souling, where people would dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for food or money. This practice was adopted in North America with the influx of Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century and contributed to the modern Halloween tradition.

💡Mumming

Mumming is another term for the tradition of going door-to-door in costume, similar to guising, but it was practiced in other parts of the British Isles. It involved people dressing up and performing in exchange for food or money, which is a precursor to the modern practice of trick-or-treating.

💡Victorian

The Victorian era refers to the period of Queen Victoria's reign in the United Kingdom, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. During this time, there was a revival of old traditions, including Halloween. The Victorians were interested in the occult and spiritualism, and they held parties with games centered around young people and romance, such as bobbing for apples.

💡Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween custom where children go from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as candy with the phrase 'trick or treat.' The video explains that this practice was not common during the Victorian period but became popular in the 20th century, particularly after children in Philadelphia started donating their collected money to UNICEF.

💡UNICEF

UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund, a United Nations program that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. In the context of the video, UNICEF is mentioned because children in Philadelphia started donating their Halloween collections to the organization, which eventually led to UNICEF winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.

💡Supernatural

The supernatural refers to phenomena that cannot be explained by scientific laws or principles and is often associated with the existence of beings or forces beyond the natural world. In the video, the supernatural is a central theme of Halloween, with the belief that spirits and the dead can interact with the living on this night.

Highlights

Halloween originated around 2,000 years ago with the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.

The holiday was originally called Samhain, marking the end of the Celtic year.

October 31 was believed to be a night when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was thin.

The Celts would offer food and drink to appease spirits and ensure a prosperous year.

Costumes were worn as protection against vengeful spirits.

An empty chair by the fire was a tradition to welcome back the souls of deceased relatives.

The Roman Catholic Church attempted to Christianize the pagan holiday, changing it to All Hallowtide.

All Hallowtide included All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

The tradition of souling emerged in the 15th century, involving door-to-door visits for soul cakes.

In the 16th century, 'guising' was practiced in Scotland and Ireland, involving costumes and asking for food or money.

The Victorian era saw a revival of old traditions and an interest in the occult.

Trick-or-treating was not practiced during the Victorian period.

The custom of trick-or-treating became popular in North America with Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century.

In 1950, children in Philadelphia started the tradition of donating Halloween money to UNICEF.

UNICEF's collection efforts led to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.

Halloween is a mix of traditions but consistently involves the supernatural and sharing food.