To celebrate we've decided to share the history of how Halloween began, because knowing where things originate, helps make holidays more interesting in our opinion. Take a walk back through time, and enjoy the incredible history of this tradition. As always we welcome your comments, and love getting pictures from our friends of Crimson to share with our readers.
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, began as a Celtic festival known as Samhain. It was a Gaelic festival that marked the end of the harvest season, also known as the beginning of winter and the darker half of the year. Livestock was slaughtered for the winter and bonfires were created to celebrate many rituals. It was also believed to be the time when spirits could walk freely between the world of the living and dead.
In comparison, this day is also known as All Saints Day (although originally celebrated on November 1st) created by the Catholic Church. Other titles for this were: Solemnity of All Saints, All Hallows, and Hallowmas. The tradition was either celebrated on November 1st or the first Sunday after the pentecost. The day was known as one where Saints received visions from heaven.
Ironically, even with All Saints Day, the puritans of the 18th century were very opposed to Halloween and it didn't really find footing until the Irish and Scottish immigration of the 19th century took place. It remained in the immigration communities until the first decade of the 20th century.
Turnips were actually used in Ireland and Scotland history instead of pumpkins. The pumpkin was actually included by immigrants to North America because they were easier to carve!
The American tradition of carving pumpkins was first recorded in 1837 and was associated with harvest time, and not Halloween until the mid-19th century.
Trick-or-Treating began in Scotland and Ireland, and was called guising. These children would go door to door in costume asking for food or coin. They would carry lanterns carved from turnips. In North America the first recorded instance of Trick or Treating was in 1911.
We've come a long way from those days, and it's so interesting to look back on how a tradition began. Today we have many ways of celebrating this incredible holiday. No matter what you enjoy, from Haunted houses and trail rides, to adult balls, or Harvest Festivals. Halloween has become a tradition that fills people from all ages with a sense of fun and excitement.
No matter how you spend your Halloween, everyone at Tears of Crimson wishes you a safe and enjoyable holiday! If you have any extra candy that you need to get rid of, just drop it off in our mailbox!
(Historical information about the Halloween Holiday came from Wikipedia))