On the last night of October, crowds of kids storm up to doorsteps dressed up in various costumes and demand treats from strangers; this night is called Halloween.
Every year, millions of children and families celebrate Halloween. They celebrate by dressing up in silly or scary costumes and trick-or-treating around their neighborhood. Although many people celebrate this holiday, most people don’t know what they are celebrating; they just enjoy the free treats and a late night with friends and family.
Halloween has evolved into something that is far from what it used to be. Halloween became widely recognized as a holiday around the United States in the early 1900s, and the tradition dates back almost 2,000 years. This holiday first began when groups of farmers and their families gathered together after the harvest had finished and celebrated the coming of winter. Farmers would light fires, wear costumes and perform rituals in order to ward off spirits for the season to come. Families would also carve faces into vegetables like turnips and use them as scarecrows to scare away the evil spirits.
Now, the people who started this celebration would not even recognize it today. How did this come to be? After many years of American and European intervention, the tradition of gathering together after harvest to tell stories and scare away spirits transformed into modern-day Halloween as we know it. There were also many other factors, such as pop culture and the entertainment industry, that played a role in this change. Under the influence of these groups, the idea of trick-or-treating was introduced, as well as the carving of pumpkins. Not only have the activities surrounding Halloween changed, but the intention has too. Halloween used to be a day to try and get rid of unwanted spirits, but in our modern world, it has transformed into a kid-friendly activity and a community celebration of the conclusion of summer.
Halloween has come a long way from its unusual beginnings, but has evolved into an event that allows for all people to gather together and celebrate the end of summer with a sweet twist!
