The Origins Of Halloween

A comprehensive guide to the meaning and origins of Halloween

An explanation for spooky festivities

By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer

Halloween is one of the largest and most celebrated holidays in North America. In fact, Halloween is the second-largest holiday in terms of celebration and money spent, right after Christmas—transacting business of an estimated $1 billion in Canada and another $8 billion in the U.S. As early as August, retailers fill their shelves with all sorts of chocolates and candies, pumpkins, costumes, and decorations to bring to life, the night of October 31. Children usually go door-to-door dressed in costumes seeking candies and other goodies, while their older counterparts dress up and spend the night drinking and having

While usually, the origins and combinations of festivals are widely debated, it is generally agreed that this holiday comes from a primarily Christian approach. From the eve of October 31 to November 2 is a period of time during which Western Christians remember the faithfully departed souls—particularly their recognized martyrs and saints. In the beginning it was known as “All Hallow’s Eve,” eventually linguistically contracted to “Halloween.” Celebrations to remember the dead are common across many cultures, with the specific time of year often moved to coincide with this Christian ritual. The night of October 31 was traditionally thought to be the time when the afterlife came close to the actual world—and the recognition of the supernatural became the horror-themed celebration as we know today. An unrelated pagan ritual known as “Samhain” is also traditionally celebrated on the night of October 31, which marks the end of harvest. Eventually in the 19th and 20th century, the holidays merged—although it is still questioned to what extent paganism has influenced

the unsafe practices and vandalism, go back as far as the origin of celebration itself. In 1912, the Boy Scouts of America put out a deceleration, encouraging safe practices and discouraging vandalism for all on Halloween night. Today, smashed pumpkins, toilet papering, or destroyed decorations are just some of the procedures that often occur on the holiday. Some places even celebrate “Mischief Night” on October 30—also known as “Cabbage” “Devil's” “or “Gate Night”—in which pranks are common and encouraged. The practice of tricking the night before the treating is very regional—being common in some areas and almost unheard of in others. Emergency services are quite busy with the amount of celebration happening, especially with the amount of alcohol often consumed. Lack of visibility, costume props with sharp edges, and running around at night also lead to accidents. Communities often encourage controlled and harm-reducing Halloween activities for increased safety, and generally it is adults and teenagers who are more likely to be injured than children.

In addition, the concept of poisoned or razor-blade Halloween candy is widely regarded to be a myth. There are no documented cases of strangers intentionally harming children through