The History of

Halloween
Reading
Comprehension
Celtic Origins
The festival of Halloween that we know today
originated over 2000 years ago from the Celts, who
lived in Britain and Ireland from around 600 BC to
AD 43. The Celts believed in many gods and their
calendar contained many festivals during which
these gods were celebrated. The four key festivals word ‘Halloween’ evolved. As centuries passed, the outside their homes. This tradition is typically associated
of the Celtic year were Imbolc (February), Bealtaine Pagan and Christian festivals began to merge and were with America, as the festival of Halloween is widely
(May), Lughnasa (August) and Samhain (November). celebrated as both religious and secular holidays. The celebrated there. However, this tradition did not begin
The festival of Samhain marked the beginning of the celebration of Halloween was mostly forbidden in in America, but rather in Ireland. Its origin stems from
Celtic new year and was considered the beginning the newly established American colonies and did not an Irish myth about a man called ‘Stingy Jack’. According
of the winter period. The Celts believed that during arrive until the late 19th century, when large numbers to legend, Stingy Jack invited the devil to drink with
the Samhain festival, the souls of the dead returned of immigrants, particularly Irish immigrants, travelled him. As he was ‘stingy’, he convinced the devil to turn
to visit their homes, while those that had died during to America and took their customs with them. These himself into a coin to pay for their drinks. Jack decided
the year were believed to journey to the afterlife. To customs developed over the years and have shaped the to keep the coin, placing it in his pocket next to a silver
celebrate, people lit bonfires and sometimes wore festival of Halloween celebrated today. One particular cross, preventing the devil from returning to his original
masks and costumes to frighten away evil spirits, or custom, which originated in Ireland, has become the form. He eventually freed the devil but later tricked him
to avoid being recognized by any ghosts present! ultimate symbol of Halloween: the pumpkin. again by carving a cross into the bark of a tree after he
convinced the devil to climb it. Then, he refused to free
The arrival of Christianity saw Celtic festivals turned The Pumpkin and the Legend of ‘Stingy Jack’
into Christian festivals in an effort to eradicate the devil until he had promised not to bother Jack for
The carving of a pumpkin, or jack-o’-lantern, is a popular
Paganism. Christianity replaced Samhain with ‘All ten years. When Jack died, he faced a problem, as God
activity on Halloween, with many people placing
Saints’ Day’, a holy, or hallowed eve from which the would not allow him to enter heaven, while the devil
pumpkins, decorated with scary faces and designs,

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would not accept him in hell. The devil sent Jack away Ireland. This involved children going from door to door
into the night with only a piece of burning coal to use in disguise and being given a gift in the form of food
as light. Jack placed the coal into a carved turnip and or coins. The traditions evolved over the years, with
is said to have wandered the Earth ever since, looking the term ‘trick-or-treat’ becoming popular in North
for a place to rest. The story was widely told in Ireland, America in the early 1900s. Today, trick-or-treating is
where people began referring to him as ‘Jack of the mostly popular in the United States, Ireland and the
Lantern’. The story also influenced people to begin UK but continues to become more popular in many
making their own lanterns using turnips and potatoes. non-English speaking countries as a result of American
These would then be placed outside homes to ward influence, particularly in urban areas.
off evil spirits, similar to the Pagan tradition of wearing
masks and costumes to keep people safe during the Halloween Today
festival of Samhain. Immigrants to the US continued The festival of Halloween is widely celebrated around
the tradition of carving turnips and potatoes until they the world and varies from country to country. For
discovered that the pumpkin, which was native to the example, in Mexico, Halloween is merely a build up
US, made for a much larger and more colourful jack- to the more widely celebrated Día de los Muertos,
o’-lantern. The tradition of pumpkin carving remains which takes place on 1st and 2nd November. In
a staple Halloween activity, despite the public being Britain, Halloween remains popular but is often
typically unaware of its origin. overshadowed by Guy Fawkes Day on 5th November,
where bonfires are lit to commemorate a failed
Trick-or-Treating
assassination attempt on King James I in 1605. Some
Another Halloween tradition with ancient origins is
countries, such as Japan, have only recently started
the act of trick-or-treating. The specific origins of the
celebrating Halloween. In Japan, western influence
tradition are unknown but history points to a range of
has increased the festival’s popularity and it is
potential origins. During the Celtic festival of Samhain,
celebrated as a secular festival, with many people
people would wear masks and dress in costume to ward
deciding to simply dress up in costume and throw
off evil spirits and would also prepare food that was left
parties. However, many countries still celebrate
outside to appease the visiting spirits. As the centuries
Halloween as a religious holiday, such as Italy,
passed, people began dressing up as creatures and
where the festival of Ognissanti, honours all of the
ghosts. The tradition of ‘mumming’, where people
saints of the Catholic church. Regardless of where
would travel from door to door dressed in costumes
it is celebrated, Halloween is an event steeped in
and perform in exchange for food and drink, became
history that continues to evolve and be celebrated
popular in the Middle Ages. Similar to this was the
throughout the world.
tradition of ‘guising’, which originated in Scotland and

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