Halloween, Modernized or Still the Same?
By Brandi SchenkelbergHalloween is celebrated in many different ways. It may be a night to dress up in costume and knock on doors to get candy and other goodies, and go home and then eat until you get sick. Or, it may be a time to play practical jokes on friends and neighbors hoping you do not get caught. While these customs are very popular today, they are quite different from Halloween's original celebrations.
Halloween originated in the Catholic Church. It came from All Hallows Eve, celebrated on Nov. 1. This is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints sometimes called All Hollows Day or All Saints Day.
"Dressing up as saints was a good idea in the beginning, but in today's society it wouldn't work because everyone that celebrates does not have the same religious beliefs," said Junior Amanda Curran.
But in 5 century B.C, Celtic Ireland, the holiday was adopted as the Celtic New Year celebrated on Oct. 31.
By this time the original meaning of the holiday got switched around. Celts would burn someone at the stake that was thought to have been possessed as a lesson to the spirits that possessed them. "I'm glad we don't do that now, I never really thought of it that way. I always thought of Halloween as treats, fun and costumes," says senior Stephanie Sinos. They would make their homes undesirable by putting out the fires in the furnaces. They would dress up in ghoulish costumes and parade around being destructive to frighten away spirits.
Later, the Romans adopted these practices but abandoned the practice of sacrificing humans. The stress on these practices changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirits lessened, the practice of dressing up like goblins, ghosts and witches, took on a more lighthearted, ceremonial role.
Americans received these customs in the 1840's from Irish immigrants. The American's oh so popular custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated from a European custom called souling. During this time Christians would walk around their neighborhoods begging for soul cakes. More soul cakes meant more prayers they had to say on behalf of dead relatives.
"I thought some crazy guy just wanted candy so he dressed up, went around and got it," says sophomore Johanna Hilbers.
The custom of carving pumpkins to make Jack-o-lanterns may come from the Irish. The story depicts a man named Jack who got involved with Satin. Jack tricked Satan and therefore was denied passage into both Heaven and hell. The result of this was one ember given to Jack by Satan. This ember was placed inside of a hollowed out turnip to keep it glowing longer. When the Irish came to America they realized that pumpkins were more plentiful, so they changed their use of vegetables.
So, contrary to popular belief, although atheists and others may have adopted this holiday as their favorite, the day grew out of wholesome Christian practices. The holiday is only as evil as a person cares to make it.
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