Eclectic Origins: Halloween’s History

Halloween is a widely recognized and celebrated holiday in the United States filled with scary movies and frightfully fun costumes. But where did this tradition originate? Take a journey through time, and traditions, to hear about the ancient celebrations that helped in shaping what we now know as Halloween.

Ancient Roots: Influence From Across the Pond

Halloween’s history is vast and begins over 2,000 years ago. It comes from a multitude of different areas, but its true origin is somewhat disputed. Some scholars believe that Halloween originates from an old Druid festival called Samhain (SAW-win) which is a day that celebrates the new year on November 1. This day- Samhain -marked the end of summer and the harvest at the beginning of the dark cold winter. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.^[1] They would build bonfires, make sacrifices, and wear costumes made of

Others believe it began when Irish immigrants came to America and brought their traditions with them. Research professor at UCLA Henry Ansgar Kelly says, “All Saints’ Day was a feast day on the Catholic calendar, November 1 was the day on which you would celebrate all the people that have gone to heaven”.^[2] According to Kelly, “… the night before All Saints’ Day, people would hold vigils for the souls that hadn’t yet gone to Heaven… it was a night to pray for the dead, and thus Halloween was born”.^[3]

Another disputed origin comes from ancient Rome, after they had conquered Celtic territory and combined those traditions with traditions of their own. This ‘new’ celebration was referred to as Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.^[4]

When Christianity spread throughout Europe the holiday’s traditions changed yet again with the celebration of their All Saints’ Day; a time to honor saints and martyrs. Pope Boniface III dedicated the Pantheon in Rome in honor of all Christian martyrs. Later, Pope Gregory III expanded the festival to include all saints as well as martyrs, and moved the observance from May 13 to November 1.^[5] Christianity titled their celebration All Souls Day and their celebrations were similar to that of Celts; big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. This celebration was called All-hallows, or All-hallowmas (from middle English meaning Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before- the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion -eventually became Halloween.^[6] No matter the true origin, the thing that rings true in all historical accounts is the commemoration of the dead and long-lasting tradition.

Pagan Pageantry to Present-Day Playfulness

Many of the celebrations surrounding Halloween are ones that we’ve grown up celebrating year after year. From carving Jack-O-Lanterns and going trick-or-treating, to watching scary movies or dressing up in costumes, the holiday serves as a widely renowned American tradition. The history behind why we have these activities alongside the Halloween holiday are as historically significant as the origin of the celebration itself.

Vampires vs. Consumption

Dressing up as a vampire is an incredibly popular costume amongst Halloween trick-or-treaters. However, did you know that years ago some people thought that their deceased loved ones turned into vampires? It’s true! More than 200 years after the Salem Witch Trials, another pandemic claimed the lives of numerous families on the East Coast in Rhode Island, Vermont, and other parts of New England and was known as consumption (today’s tuberculosis).^[7] Citizens of these states watched as their loved ones appeared to lose weight, skin turn pale, and other “vampire-like” symptoms! As chaos ensued some villagers believed that their family members MIGHT come back from the dead to prey upon the living. To combat the fear, townspeople would dig up the graves of their dead kin and bury their organs separately so as to ensure that they could not come back as vampires.^[8] 

Treats Instead of Tricks

Trick-or-treating is a beloved part of Halloween Night; going around the neighborhood, ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door to then be greeted by a bowl full of candy.. what’s not to love? This Halloween tradition has its origin story as well, and it’s much more interesting than you might think!

One origin thread can be traced back to the celebration of Samhain where villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal hides to drive away phantom visitors, and banquet tables would be prepared with food and left out to ward off those unwanted guests.^[9] 

Another guess at the original reason Trick-or-Treating came to be could come from the time when Christianity had spread to Celtic lands and poor townspeople would venture to the homes of the richer neighborhoods and receive “soul cakes” from the homeowners. These cakes were received in exchange for the prayer of relatives that had since passed away.

A third guess at the start of this Halloween tradition would be the pranks that sprang up in the United States in the early 20th century. The Great Depression exacerbated the problem and caused Halloween mischief to reach a whole new level with children playing pranks, vandalizing buildings, and even physical assaults.^[10] With something needing to be done it is thought that citizens of these areas of pranking resorted to creating a community-based Trick-or-Treating to get children to accept treats for not playing tricks on their fellow friends and neighbors.

Whatever you choose to celebrate on Halloween this year, one thing is for certain: each individual aspect that surrounds the holiday is heavily rooted in tradition, lore, and lots of fun and interesting facts. This Halloween, whether you’re choosing what you’re going to dress up as, deciding what decorations to adorn your house with, or selecting which spooky movie to watch, maybe take the time to look up some of the history behind it to further dive into the hair-raising thrills of Halloween!

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[1] “Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions.” History.com, May 28, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween.

[2] Lemire, Sarah. “Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? The History behind the Spooky Holiday.” TODAY.com, August 8, 2025. https://www.today.com/life/holidays/history-of-halloween-rcna34503.

[3] Ibid

[4] “Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions.” History.com, May 28, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween.

[5] “Halloween.” Wikipedia, August 26, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween.

[6] Ibid

[7] Ponti, Crystal. “When New Englanders Blamed Vampires for Tuberculosis Deaths.” History.com, May 27, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/vampires-tuberculosis-consumption-new-england.

[8] Ibid

[9] “How Trick-or-Treating Became a Halloween Tradition.” History.com, September 15, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/halloween-trick-or-treating-origins 

[10] Ibid