The History of Halloween

Halloween has not always been about candy, scares and costumes. The holiday has changed substantially since its origin many centuries ago.

According to TheCanadianguide.com, Halloween is the second biggest spending holiday in Canada. The average Canadian will spend around $52-$74 on costumes. Halloween is right behind Christmas, when the average Canadian family spends around $1,517 on presents .

This holiday has been through many changes and has evolved away from its roots.  What originally stemmed from the Celtic holiday Samhain, has become an event of family fun.

Father Matthew Durham, a priest from the Hospice of Windsor Essex County, says Halloween originated about 2000 years ago.

“The Celts celebrated Samhain on October 31. This festival marked the end of the harvest, the beginning of winter,” said Durham. “A day where the Celts believed that the veil between worlds was less concrete allowing ghosts to haunt the earth and for druids to make predictions about the future.”

On Oct. 31 the Celts would wear masks to blend in with any ghosts wandering around.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory designated Nov. 1 as All Saints Day and the day before became known as Hallow’s Eve, and eventually Halloween.

Although Halloween is still  popular in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Belgium and Japan, it has caused a lot of controversy. Many individuals are trying to ban it from schools and in neighborhoods.

Elementary schools in Milford, Connecticut have banned Halloween due to it excluding some children who can’t or won’t be participating in the holiday.

But Brianne Ward, an employee at the Thiessens Haunted Barn, which started in 2014, said judging by the popularity of the haunted barn, it will be a great year for Halloween.

“This opening day we had over 220 people. That’s a record for us,” said Ward. “And the weather has been great. It’s rained on Halloween for the past five years.”

Ward says people enjoy getting scared for a good adrenaline rush, especially if they know they’ll be safe in the end.
“Halloween seems to be making a comeback,” said Ward. “Nothing like a good scare to get the blood pumping.”