All Hallows Eve: Trick or Treat?
By: Arabhis Nicholson
On Oct. 31st the freaks come out at night! Halloween is a magical time of terror, and a time where many people transform into exotic beings. The streets are filled with mystical creatures (both young and old), magnificent superheroes with incredible powers and terrifying monsters. Teenagers and college students host a barrage of costume parties and the streets are blanketed in candy wrappers and cobwebs. Halloween, as we know it today, has evolved into a fun night of trick or treating and a plethora of creative costumes. But where did it originate and what are we really celebrating? Is there a dark past behind this spooky night observed once a year?
Halloween began centuries ago, specifically, in the 9th century with a group of people known as the Celtic (also Keltic) who lived in the region known today as Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. The Celts believed the end of October was the end of summer and the beginning of winter. A period where the veil between the living and the dead was thin and a portal opened.
During this time they celebrated the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), when ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In order to ward off evil spirits, they wore masks or white sheets to hide and disguise themselves as fellow ghosts. They also used this sacred time for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to predict the future of their community. These primeval people depended on predictions for a sense of security for the long winter ahead. The people of the town gathered around a bonfire and made animal sacrifices to Celtic deities. They were highly superstitious people who looked to their Gods for guidance.
The lifestyle of the Celts drastically changed in 43 A.D. when the Roman Empire conquered most of Celtic territory. The first official adjustment to this Celtic holiday was the Roman incorporation of two festivals around October honoring Roman traditions; Feralia, honoring the passing of the dead, and Pomona, honoring the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
Other historical factors that impacted Halloween were when Pope Gregory III extended the Catholic feast of all Martyr’s Day to include each of the Catholic saints. The date was moved from May 13th to Nov. 1st, and later became All Souls Day, a day to honor the dead. This was combined with Celtic traditions of bonfires and “dressing-up,” except there were no sacrifices made. Soon, all throughout Celtic land, All Saints Day was referred to as All-Hallows or All Hallowmas. Therefore, the day before, Oct. 31st, which was called all Hallows eve, eventually became Halloween.
During colonial times, Halloween was celebrated exclusively in the southern colonies of America. Around the mid-1800’s, many immigrants from Ireland fled to America bringing both Irish and English traditions with them. In the late 19th century, Halloween became more of a family affair; a time when parties were held to replace the pranks that were played and the telling of ghost stories. They played festival games including bobbing for apples and ate seasonal foods as well as dressed in celebratory costumes.
By the early 20th century, Halloween was a community-based holiday. To combat the “trick” in trick-or-treating, community members provided candy and homemade treats to neighborhood children. And there you have it. From an archaic past of bonfires and sacrifices, to a more Christian approach, this holiday has made major transformations and is now widely celebrated all throughout America!
In the 20th century, the entertainment industry made Halloween more mainstream. In 1978, director John Carpenter raised the bar for the movie genre of Horror films with the all-time classic, “Halloween.” Soon after the movie, businesses began offering a large variety of masks and gruesome costumes; giving a new face to Halloween and making it a multi-million dollar business. Today, you can enjoy this spooky holiday by dressing up and going to haunted houses, trick-or-treating, enjoying Halloween parties, or by simply having a scary movie-night.
So, beware all Fayetteville State University students and faculty. The Goons, Goblins and “Murch-Monsters” will be free to roam (cue the spooky music), and all the characters of our childhood nightmares suddenly emerge and come to life in the frenzy of Halloween spirit. Will you be tricked by vampire entities or will you be treated to a beautifully magical night of All Hallows Eve Fun?
To get into the Halloween mood, here are a few classics to watch:
o Nightmare on Elm St.
o Halloween
o Children of the Corn
o Poltergeist
o Hocus Pocus
o Scream
To ensure you’ll have nightmares, here’s a list of current horror films and thrillers:
• Insidious 1&2
• The Conjuring
• Paranormal Activity
• Carrie
• Evil Dead
• You’re Next
Let the terror begin…
