Its Tradion From Kitty ( I think)

Happy Halloween!  It’s that time of year, and all the festivities are starting up again; carving jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating, going to costume parties and corn mazes, bobbing for apples, telling scary stories, and watching horror movies.   These are all super fun and festive, but how did they start??

 It’s up to you, but I think whoever can say how these traditions originated ought to go on Jeopardy.  So, get ready to find out!

Believe it or not, the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns began in Ireland, when people carved turnips to commemorate lost souls, specifically for All Souls Day on November 2.  Irish immigrants brought the tradition to North America, where the pumpkin was discovered to be more practical because it was larger and easier to carve than the turnip.   The jack-o-lantern became a symbol of the harvest season in general before it become an emblem of Halloween.

 It wasn’t until poet John Greenleaf associated this custom with Halloween in 1850 that it became a popular tradition.  Maybe you’ll think more about it when you create your jack-o-lanterns this weekend!!

Trick or treating… even if some of us don’t do it anymore, I think we can all agree that it’s fun to dress up in costumes and get free candy!  The history is actually a lot more interesting than you might think (no,  a kid didn’t just come up with the idea of getting free candy and decided to dress up in a costume to get it!). 

Trick or treating is similar to the medieval practice of souling, when poor citizens would beg door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for the souls of the dead on All Souls Day (November 2).  It originated in Ireland and England, though alike practices happened as far south as Italy! 

Now, to completely understand the history of trick or treating, we obviously need to discuss the origin of dressing up in costumes! It actually can be traced back to Celtic traditions when people impersonated supernatural figures such as ghosts, monsters, skeletons, witches, and devils.  Eventually, people began to dress up as popular fictional characters and celebrities. 

Dressing up became popular in the U.S. in the early 20^th century, but it actually started in Scotland in the late 19^th century.  The first mass-produced Halloween costumes were sold in stores in the 1930s, when trick or treating became popular. 

So, happy Halloween and have fun carving jack-o-lanterns, trick or treating, or whatever it may be that makes this holiday special for you!