Halloween, which has been observed for hundreds of years, is not confined to the U.S., although we have adopted it as one of our favorites. It was originally a religious observance, but over time any religious connection has all but faded away.
Halloween originated during the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, held on November 1. People believed that the souls of the dead returned to their homes on that day, so they dressed in costumes and lit bonfires in an attempt to ward off Uncle Fred or Aunt Milly, or anyone who might have had murderous intent. So the costumes of today are basically the result of an effort to keep the dead away from your front door, although the occasional political Halloween costume is purely an American invention.
Let me pause for a moment to tell you a little about myself, the person crafting this Halloween retrospect. I live in the country, almost off the grid, but I like it that way. Thoughts can be unfocused when you’re surrounded by ambient noise. I’ve also chosen to record this article because I have found that too many mistakes can occur otherwise… hold on… I think I saw something by the is treeline . Wait a sec, I’m just going to have a closer look. I’m back now. I probably shouldn’t tell you what I thought I saw… Oh, what the heck, it was nothing, just some trick of the moonlight, so… you remember the movie Halloween? I hope so, it’s iconic. Very low budget and very effective. At any rate, I thought I saw Michael Myers himself standing quietly between two spindly oaks, that so disquieting look on his face, as if he knows something you don’t, mostly about your future well-being. I will admit, it did get my attention. But a second look confirmed that it was indeed, just a trick of the light, so let me continue. First, though, I have to tell you that I am not a believer in anything paranormal. Never was and never will be; I just like what a good scare can do to your head, and Halloween is perfect for that. Okay, let’s move on.
Pope Boniface IV created All Saints Day in the 7th century and it was celebrated then on May 13. A century later, Pope Gregory III moved the holiday to November 1, likely as a Christian substitute for the pagan festival of Samhain, mentioned earlier. The day before, October 31st, became known as All Hallows Eve.
Halloween began in Celtic regions of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, but it quickly spread to other parts of the world. American colonists were forbidden to celebrate it for religious reasons, it did, however, enjoy a degree of popularity in the Southern colonies. Now this is interesting. Have you ever heard the term guising?
Okay, sorry about this, but I swear Michael just walked over to my firepit. I’ll be right back.
I’m back and I’m beginning to wonder if someone is maybe playing a trick on me. It is Halloween so…. I went outside, into the chill of night, just to convince myself that Michael was, and could not, be there, that I was just seeing things, but although Michael was not there, I did, in fact, see something. Now whether that something was real or not, I don’t know, but the skeptic in me says it was nothing. Those are deep woods out there and deep in those woods I saw a ribbon of light, as if someone was shining a flashlight back and forth, and it was as if that light was moving slowly but relentlessly toward me. I grinned at that, probably to assuage a rising fear – yes, I can admit that – but I remembered that this article about Halloween has a deadline, so I came back in.
“Guising,” is when a person dresses in costume and tells a joke, recites a poem, or performs some other trick in exchange for a treat. By 1950, trick-or-treating for candy had become what Halloween was all about. And candy sales in the United States are estimated to be more than $3 billion today.
Trick or treat! Now there’s a phrase cloaked in varied meanings. We don’t imagine anything too horrible happening if we don’t provide a treat, but early on, tricks could get pretty expensive.
In 1932, the mischief of Halloween night brought general property damage in excess of five thousand dollars, and left the streets and avenues in a midwestern city strewn with 135 truckloads of junk and refuse. In the early 1900s, pranksters loaded a wagon with trash, set it on fire and then pushed it downhill toward a copse of trees, setting them ablaze. They probably weren’t too interested in a bite-sized Hershey bar.
Divination party games were also popular back then. In one game women threw apple peelings over their shoulders to determine the initials of their future bridegrooms. Bobbing for apples is part of that.
As I mentioned earlier, Halloween does not belong to us. Many countries celebrate it, but in different ways so let me….
Now this is kind of crazy, but I didn’t see a car drive up. I’m on the second floor and thanks to the harvest moon I can see for miles, and I definitely did not see a car drive up. But someone just knocked on my front door three times, a full second between each light knock. I hate to admit it, but a ring of sweat has formed around my collar. There has been a string of burglaries in the county and a few break-ins, so my mind is in fifth gear. I’ll be right back.
Okay, I’m going to chalk this one up as something my skeptical brain conjured up. I went downstairs, opened the front door and there was no one there. But what my mind offered me then had to have been my brain rebelling against my skepticism. They were there, every paranormal or Halloween trope you can imagine, all standing arm and arm, maybe a hundred yards away. Michael, Freddy, Jason, even the little girl and boy from the movie, The Others and so many others. And then they weren’t. They just disappeared. So I’m back. Back to what is normal – this article about Halloween.
Children in Mexico also go trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, but it acts as a primer for another celebration, Day of the Dead, which takes place on Nov. 1 and 2. This Mexican holiday dates back 3,000 years and occurs when the gates of heaven open, and the spirit of a deceased loved one reunites with their family. There are feasts and gifts left on the gravesite of the deceased and although it was once celebrated only in rural parts of the country, it is now celebrated in major cities, including Mexico City. Children celebrate Halloween in England, too, but Guy Fawkes Day is still more widely celebrated. In Italy Italians celebrate Ognissanti, or “all saints,” a festival with deep religious…
Dear God, he’s at my window. Michael Myers is looking at me through my second floor window. I’m staring back at him because I really have no choice. His glare seems to command me. Oh my God, did you hear that? Three soft knocks on my bedroom door. My heart is pounding, but my brain won’t let this be real. It can’t be.
“Who’s there?”
Nothing.
“Who’s there, dammit? Answer–”
“Your worst fears.”
Published 10/31/24