HALLOWEEN - what does that mean to you? Did you start going Trick or Treat when you were a child? Has HALLOWEEN been celebrated in your family generation after generation? Where did HALLOWEEN, TRICK OR TREAT OR HARVEST PARTY come from?
HALLOWEEN has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of October 31. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. On the sacred night, people gathered to light bonfires, offer sacrifices and pay homage to the dead.
During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain, villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared and food was left out to placate unwelcomed spirits.
In later centuries, people began dressing as ghost, demons and other malevolent creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink.
Fast forward to the height of the postwar. Baby boom, trick-or-treating reclaimed its place among other HALLOWEEN customs. It quickly became standard practice for millions of children in America's cities and newly built suburbs. No longer constrained by sugar rationing, candy companies capitalized on the lucrative ritual, launching national advertising campaigns specifically aimed at HALLOWEEN.
Were you aware that Today, Americans spend an estimated $2.6 billion on candy on HALLOWEEN, according the National Retail Federation, and the day, itself has become the nation's second-largest commercial holiday.
