From Samhain to Sweets:
The Origins of Halloween

Halloween may seem like a modern celebration of costumes, candy, and parties, but its origins are deeply rooted in ancient Celtic traditions. As October 31st approaches, people around the world begin carving pumpkins and preparing for trick-or-treating, unknowingly participating in customs that go back thousands of years to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-win").

Samhain, which marked the end of the orange harvest and the beginning of a dark winter, was celebrated around November 1st. The Celts believed that on the night before, October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth. To protect themselves from these wandering souls, the Celts lit bonfires and wore animal heads and skins, which were intended to confuse or scare away any unwanted spirits.

Halloween began to evolve into its current form when Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America during the 19th century, particularly during the Great Potato Famine. One such tradition was "souling," a practice where poor children and adults would go door-to-door offering prayers and songs for the dead in exchange for food, particularly ‘soul cakes’. These small, spiced cakes were thought to help free souls from purgatory. This practice laid the foundation for modern-day trick-or-treating, where children dress up and go door-to-door, not for prayers, but for sweets.

One of the most iconic symbols of Halloween, the jack-o-lantern, also has Celtic origins. In Ireland, people would carve frightening faces into turnips or potatoes to scare away evil spirits. This tradition stems from the legend of Stingy Jack, a trickster who was doomed to wander the earth with only a glowing turnip to light his way after outsmarting the Devil. When Irish immigrants arrived in America, they discovered pumpkins, which were much easier to carve than turnips or potatoes, and the jack-o'-lantern as we know it was born.

From carving pumpkins to dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating, modern Halloween is built on centuries of tradition. Each year, when we engage in these activities, we’re carrying on a legacy that stretches back to ancient times. While it looks very different today, its roots remind us that some traditions, no matter how eerie or festive, are timeless.

BY HOLLY GARWOOD, 21ST OCTOBER 2024