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The Origins of Halloween Traditions

Posted by: Heather Thomas

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A banner image detail from a 1922 Florida newspaper that has Halloween images of pumpkins, a witch on a broom, black cats, an owl and a boy holding a pumpkin on a stick with the text "Halloween" across the top.
The Pensacola Journal (Pensacola, FL), October 29, 1922.

Carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and wearing scary costumes are some of the time-honored traditions of Halloween. Yet, the Halloween holiday has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor saints. Soon after, All Saints Day came to incorporate some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later, Halloween. Here is a look at the origins of some of the classic Halloween traditions we know today.

An image detail from a 1910 California newspaper. The image is a large jack-o'-lantern with children sitting inside the pumpkin looking out through the carved eyes, nose, and mouth.
Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), October 30, 1910.

Carving Jack-o’-Lanterns

The tradition of carving Jack-o’-Lanterns originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins. It is allegedly based on a legend about a man named Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. But when Jack died, he learned that Heaven did not want his soul either, so he was forced to wander the Earth as a ghost for eternity. The Devil gave Jack a burning lump of coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Locals eventually began carving scary faces into their own turnips to frighten away evil spirits.

image detail from a 1915 New York newspaper of a boy dressed in overalls carving a pumpkin.
“In Pumpkin Land the Jack-‘o-Lantern Is Still the Symbol of Hallowe’en,” New York Tribune (New York, NY), October 24, 1915.

Seeing Ghosts

The festival of Samhain marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter. Celtic people believed that during the festival, spirits walked the Earth. Later on, Christian missionaries introduced All Souls’ Day on November 2, which perpetuated the idea of the living coming into contact with the dead around the same time of year. 

Cartoon from an 1896 newspaper of a man with a long white beard and long black coat stands in shock looking at a skeleton figure draped a translucent long robe with boney arms outstretched floating above a tombstone.
[No headline]. The Morning Times (Washington, DC), October 25, 1896.
Wearing Scary Costumes

In order to avoid being terrorized by all the evil spirits walking the Earth during Samhain, the Celts donned disguises in order to confuse the spirits and be left alone. 

A collage of images from a 1960 Virginia newspaper of several children dressed in various costumes for Halloween.
“Halloween in Retrospect,” The Farmville Herald (Farmville, VA), November 8, 1960.

Trick-or-Treating 

There is much debate around the origins of trick-or-treating, but generally there are three theories. The first theory suggests that during Samhain, Celtic people would leave food out to appease the spirits traveling the Earth at night. Over time, people began to dress as these unearthly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink. 

The second theory speculates that the candy boon stems from the Scottish practice of guising, which is a secular version of “souling.” During the Middle Ages, generally children and poor adults would collect food and money from local homes in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Guisers dropped the prayers in favor of non-religious practices with the inclusion of songs, jokes, and other “tricks.”

A third theory argues that modern American trick-or-treating stems from “belsnickeling,” a German-American Christmas tradition where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised. In one version of the practice, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.

The image is of two little boys in costume on a porch trick-or-treating for Halloween and a hand is in frame on the left handing the children candy.
“Trick or Treat!,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 26, 1952.
Image detail from a 1962 DC newspaper of several children seated on steps wearing various costumes and masks for Halloween.
“Trick or Treat?” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 28, 1962.

Black Cats

The idea of being spooked by black cats dates back to the Middle Ages, when these dark felines were considered a symbol of the Devil. It didn’t help that centuries later, accused witches were often found to have cats, particularly black ones. People began to believe that the cats were a witch’s “familiar”–supernatural entities that would assist in their practice of dark magic–and black cats and spookiness have been linked ever since. 

A detail of a newspaper page from a 1912 DC newspaper that has the text "Halloween" across the top, bookended with drawn black cats. Below the text is an image of a witch on a broom with a black cat on the end of the broom; they are flying past the moon and bats are flying beneath them.. Smaller text from an accompanying article are on either side of the witch image.
“Halloween,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 27, 1912.

Black and Orange

The traditional Halloween colors of black and orange also traces back to the Celtic festival of Samhain. For the Celts, black represented the “death” of summer while the orange symbolized the autumn harvest season. 

Bobbing for Apples

The game of bobbing for apples has been a staple at Halloween parties for many years, but its origins are more rooted in love and romance. The game traces back to a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of agriculture and abundance. While multiple versions existed, the gist was that young men and women would be able to predict their future relationships based on the game. When the Romans conquered the British Isles in 43 AD, the Pomona festival blended with the similarly timed Samhain, a precursor to Halloween.

Image detail from a 1939 newspaper of a four standing figures (boy, girl, boy, girl) with their hands behind their backs and apples in their mouths. A young woman is seated just below looking up at them with a pencil in hand.
“The custom of bobbing for apples…,” Nogales International (Nogales, AZ), October 28, 1939.

Pranking

Playing pranks often varies by region, but the pre-Halloween tradition known as “Devil’s Night,” is credited to a different origin depending on the source. Some say that pranks started as part of May Day celebrations. But Samhain, and eventually All Souls Day, also included good-natured mischief. When Irish and Scottish immigrants came to America, they brought with them the tradition of celebrating Mischief Night as part of Halloween.

An image detail taken from a 1951 DC newspaper of two young people painting a storefront window with Halloween images, including a pumpkin and witch. One figure is on the right atop a footstool and the other figure is in the center slightly bent forward painting.
“Organized Mischief,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 28, 1951.

Lighting Candles and Bonfires

For much of the early history of Halloween, towering bonfires were used to light the way for souls seeking the afterlife. These days, lighting candles have generally replaced the large traditional blazes. 

A drawn image detail from a 1899 San Francisco newspaper of a woman in a nightgown with long brown hair looking into a mirror holding up a small burning candle. Within the smoke from the candle is a disembodied head of a man wearing a hat.
The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), October 29, 1899.

Candy Apples

For centuries, people have been coating fruit in syrup as a means of preservation. But during the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess was often represented by and associated with apples; her name derives from the Latin word for apple “pomum” and the fruit is at the heart of harvest celebrations. It is believed that candy apples were invented accidentally in 1908 by William W. Kolb, a candymaker in Newark, New Jersey. As the story goes, Kolb was experimenting with red cinnamon candy to sell at Christmastime and he dipped apples on sticks into the red glaze and put them in his shop window to showcase his new candy. But instead of selling the candies, he ended up selling the apples to customers who thought they looked good enough to eat. They became fashionable treats for Halloween starting in the early 1900s and they remained popular up until the 1970s.

Image detail from a 1956 DC newspaper of a plate of six candy apples lined on a plate surrounded by granola bards on either side.
Candied apples. Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 28, 1956.

Bats

Bats were likely present at the earliest proto-Halloween celebrations, not just symbolically but literally. As part of Samhain, Celts lit large bonfires, which attracted insects, which in turn, attracted bats. Soon spotting bats became connected with the festival. Medieval folklore expanded upon the eeriness of bats with a number of superstitions built around the belief that bats were harbingers of death. 

Drawn mage detail from a 1899 San Francisco newspaper of a women dressed in evening attire and hair up in a bun looking at an old woman who is hunched over and adorned in a layered robe-like dress and bonnet. The old woman's face is obscured by the bonnet and she is pointing at the other woman. There are two male figures in the background dressed in evening suits and there is a bat flying above all the figures in the scene.
The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), October 29, 1899.

Devouring Candy

The act of going door-to-door for handouts has long been a part of Halloween revelries. But until the mid-20th century, the “treats” children received were not necessarily candy. Things like fruit, nuts, coins, and toys were just as likely to be given out. Trick-or-treating rose in popularity in the 1950s and it inspired candy companies to market small, individually wrapped candies. People began to favor the confections out of convenience, but candy did not dominate at the exclusion of all other treats until the 1970s when parents started fearing anything unwrapped.

A drawn image detail of an ad for Halloween candy from a 1962 DC newspaper. The image has a drawing of two children wearing costumes holding up bags for trick-or-treating and another image at the bottom left of three boxes of various candies being sold. The main text of the image says "Treat 'em right, don't be tricked!" Text on the bottom right of the image includes pricing and candy names.
“Treat ’em right, don’t be tricked!” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 24, 1962.

Candy Corn

A candymaker at the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia is sometimes credited with inventing the tri-colored candy in the 1880s. But candy corn did not become a widespread sensation until the Goelitz Company brought the candy to the masses in 1898. Candy corn was originally called “Chicken Feed” and it sold in boxes with the slogan “Something worth crowing for.” Initially, it was just an autumnal candy because of corn’s association with harvest time. Candy corn later became Halloween-specific when trick-or-treating grew in popularity in the U.S. during the 1950s. 

Drawn image detail of an ad from a 1951 DC newspaper. The text across the top reads "Halloween Candy Corn" and includes a short description of the candy and price. On the left is an image of candy corn in a bowl with a ribbon coming around the side of the bowl.
“Halloween Candy Corn,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 28, 1951.

What are some other Halloween traditions that you enjoy? Share them in the comments.

 

Detail image from a 1911 DC newspaper of three figurines of Halloween-type characters. The first is a pumpkin with arms and legs wearing a top hat, the second is a creature dressed like a circus clown holding a balloon, and the third is a large head with big eyes and grinning mouth wearing a top hat with stars around the brim.
“Hobgoblins in gay circus attire,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 15, 1911.

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Comments (64)

  1. Ribbed Shark says:

    Well thats pretty neat and such

  2. minh cute says:

    càng thêm các mục kinh dị nữa nhé hay quá

  3. The Dark Attitude says:

    I can’t wait anymore for Halloween.

  4. Scottishcelt says:

    The Romans did not conquer all of the British Isles. The couldn’t defeat Caledonia (now Scotland) and built 2 walls to keep us out.

  5. Valerie Torstenson says:

    As an older adult, I most enjoy that post Halloween (which is the pinnacle of scary costumes, purposeful spookiness, acceptable door to door begging (with the unwritten rule that if the homeowner lacks good treats – the children can toilet paper the house or light a flaming bag of dog poo, and ring the bell with no recourse, but be seen as “having done the right thing for the suckers that are too selfish”) – that what follows post Halloween are the holidays of inviting everyone to the table to enjoy a meal and great conversation as we share in the abundance of harvest and togetherness – and then requiring children to show us how good they “can” be as we determine what their end of year reward(s) for having done so might be.
    It’s a bizarre series of events.

  6. kassidy says:

    why thay have wich is in Halloween movie and trik trik

  7. Jeff M says:

    Celebrations like Halloween are in conflict with Bible teachings. The Bible warns: “There must never be anyone among you who . . . practices divination, who is soothsayer, augur or sorcerer, who uses charms, consults ghosts or spirits, or calls up the dead.”—Deuteronomy 18:10, 11, The Jerusalem Bible; see also Leviticus 19:31; Galatians 5:19-21.
    In view of the foregoing, it is wise for you to know about the dark origins of Halloween and similar celebrations. Having this fuller understanding may move you to join many others who do not participate in these holidays.

  8. Lizzy says:

    I RLLY ENJOYED THIS TYSM FOR SHARING IT

  10. Joy Lennick says:

    Thank you so much. All most interesting. Cheers.

  11. Bob says:

    Candied Apples are still in style.

  12. ildicr3 says:

    I think it’s everything so beaautiful.

  13. bentley says:

    this was very very helpful im writing a essay for school and this helped alot 5 stars out of 5 stars thanks alot for this

  14. Patricia says:

    It’s always good to research and also be educated on topics . I don’t celebrate Halloween, but still enjoy seeing children dressed in sweet costumes. So sad those who have taken the joy out of a child’s pastime event.

  15. max says:

    i needed this for a project and got a 100 thx

  16. carving jack lanters says:

    i thought it was cool how it started of craving pumpkins

  17. This says:

    Article is very confuseing

    Grace, Age 15

  18. hallween says:

    wow i lean so much from this

  19. Road Block 2 says:

    This article is amazing, couldn’t have read anything better in 6th block.

  20. d says:

    wow

  21. Silence says:

    Halloween has been a long-time mystery that I’ve wanted to figure out. I think it’s very attractive on paper as well as literally. I think it’s one of the more obscure holidays in terms of endearment and the way it presents itself. It is so eerie but brings much joy, which is very contrasting. Overall, I do believe it’s a very enigmatic but purposeful event.

  22. Little Billy says:

    Wonderful Information

  23. Deez says:

    Wow 30 cents for candy my son would be die

  24. Carlos says:

    Wonderful information

  25. Mary Murphy says:

    Being Irish , it drives me nuts that Americans have high-Jacked our Halloween tradition well ours and the Scots..only joking it is funny though …we original used Turnips not Pumpkins, Pumpkins are so much easy to carve. The kids dress up in scary costumes and go house to house in search of sweets (candy) but we don’t do trick or treat.We do bobbing for apples & also we also duck for money in a basin of water. Finally , we make a special cake its a spiced tea bracket called a Barm Brack. You normally put money in it and a ring.Halloween wasn’t very popular in the UK when I was young but now its huge thanks to the US. Cheers

  26. Joe says:

    Just an observation as I am looking in to this to understand the origin for personal research purposes. For the “seeing ghosts” subheading it says that christians are the ones who introduced “All Souls Day” however the link provided shows a news paper article labeled “The Catholic Times.” Just wanted to point that out as some would argue that though fundamentally they have the same belief, their traditions and culture are quite different.

    TLDR: It was the Catholics, not the Christians who included “All Souls Day” in the picture. I just like things to be specific.

  27. Shelley F Redding says:

    Why do people think Halloween is Satanic. This is not true at all.

  28. olivia says:

    I want halloween already

  29. zoie wright says:

    add something about salem and there witch trials

  30. Jack says:

    i like pumpkins

  31. Deb says:

    Zoie, that is a totally different subject.

    Jeff M, Halloween does not go against what is written in the Bible. There may be some religions or groups that conjure, worship dark spirits, etc, etc. That is totally different than what Halloween is. Please re-read article for a better understanding.

  32. Rosss says:

    Why didn’t you mention that the druids on All Hallows Eve sacrificed children and black cats in the bonfire to the God of the Dead

  33. Brian says:

    Joe, Catholics are Christians…

  35. pearl says:

    do this festival bring bad luck to people’s homes.?

  36. Austin ryan says:

    Bonfires are still very much a part of holloween in Ireland so much so firefighters are not allowed to take holidays on this day and it is generally their busiest day of the year .

  37. Aspen M. says:

    I think this article was well done. Very helpful for understanding the origins of many Halloween traditions. This is a great resource for explaining Halloween’s roots to those who claim that celebrating it is sinful. I’m a Christian from a Christian home and we’ve always celebrated Halloween, and that does not make us “evil” or “false” or “misguided”. It’s the presentation of the holiday that has been manipulated by sin, not the holiday itself.
    God has warned us to guard our hearts and told us to show Christ in all we do, so we can still celebrate Halloween joyfully as long as we’re being wise and mindful. The evil is in devil worship and pagan systems, not in thrilling decorations and dressing up and trick-or-treating and staying out late. There are many believers who condemn their fellow Christians for celebrating Halloween and this is so wrong! Some of them find Halloween sinful merely because they don’t really know its history, which is why articles like this are incredibly helpful! (Also, of course, alongside evidence from the Bible!)
    The traditions of Halloween vary in different places in the world, but as long as you stay away from anything that’s satanic or willfully harmful to others, you can celebrate Halloween in whatever way you’re most comfortable! If you still choose not to celebrate, that’s okay! Just know that you have the freedom to celebrate if you want to, and that it’s not okay to bash on others who do make that choice!
    Thanks again for this article. I hope anyone who reads it will learn something new! I also hope that anyone who reads this comment will feel encouraged or enlightened by what I wanted to share! Super excited to celebrate Halloween and I pray for safety and joy for everyone who’s going to be trick-or-treating this year! :)

  38. julien says:

    now I love Halloween what are you for Halloween?

  39. bill says:

    I LOVE HALLOWEEN ITS SO SPOOKY

  40. JImbo says:

    hap hallween every1

  41. Frankie Kennison says:

    I used to love to dress up in a scary costume and go out Trick or Treating on Halloween night with my pillow case and get lots of candy

  42. Ken Carson says:

    very nice I feel well informed

  43. Neil says:

    If you add All Souls’ Day , all saints Day, contacting the Dead, Ghost and Goblins, Witch’s and superstitions about Black Cats, Tricks and Treats which one has to be very careful about the treats nowadays, you surely don’t have anything good about Halloween, so as a Born Again Believer in JESUS CHRIST I will not participate in Halloween or any other holiday connected to Satan and Satanic activities. Fall Festival’s, Trunk and Treat, along with other things the so called Church has on Halloween, I don’t participate in either. Have you time with evil and I’ll try my best to follow the HOLY WORD OF GOD AND THE LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.

  44. Mx. Rockets 9th grade class says:

    All the free candy
    Getting to be a character
    Making your own costumes
    The darkness of the night
    Craftiness of my company
    Getting to be out with your friends
    Looking at house decorations
    Going for a walk in the neighborhoods

  45. Emily says:

    Celebrating halloween shouldn’t be allowed, who else thinks so? There to much drug candy these days.

  46. Katty says:

    I think this relates to Ancient Rome because they both have something to do with religous thoughts. Like they created a day to “scare” away the ghost that came back to earth to visit.

  47. Arlene says:

    Enjoyable to read! Fun history! I read somewhere that on Oct 31, the “veil” between heaven & earth, or the living & the dead is lifted & spirits of the dead are allowed, on that one night, to roam the earth.

  48. visit website says:

    Awesome article.

  49. JenniferElle says:

    I love the pictures of the kids in costume.

  50. Donna says:

    Old Halloween was actually the 11/11, old Hallow is a pagan god, often depicted as the grim reaper, the scythe represents end of the harvest. When the Christians commited genocide of the pagans and changed the date and turned 11/11 to Martinmas. They did the same thing to imbalc when pagans worshiped the goddess of light on 2/2, the Christians changed it to candlemas. St Bridgid’s day to st Brigit’s day (she wrote the lord’s prayer. Hallow be thy name.

  51. Felipe U. Navarro says:

    Yup

  52. D V RAMANA says:

    It is a mythological festival associated with. probability. of meeting and remembering our an cestors.. Good thing.

  53. Jackman says:

    This is really cool Halloween has a really cool history.

  54. Harlen Hill says:

    Thanks for the info

  55. Sam says:

    Thanks for the info..

  56. Billy Bob says:

    I LOVE HALLOWEEN🎃

  57. Silly Goose says:

    ITS HALLOWEEN 2024!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃👻👻👻👻👻👻👻🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬

  58. LoVe says:

    @Library of Congress: Thank you for a great overview of all the Halloween traditions and the old pictures of costumes and activities. Very neat to see and reminded me of my childhood Halloween activities. We also used to soap windows and throw rotten eggs at people’s houses who didn’t participate in Halloween or were mean when we went to their houses! Some of the older neighbors would invite us into their houses for homemade caramel popcorn balls or candied apples. Many people made treats for kids (this is not done any more especially because razor blades were found in some apples. BTW, we never found any in ours!) I wouldn’t recommend pranking, like we did, these days as you could end up being charged with vandalism, but it was tolerated in the “olden days” – lol!

    @Emily: Halloween should be allowed but I second your notion about “drug candy”; parents, please be aware that many look-alike packages have thc or other drugs in them. They are sold as “adult candy” but are attractive to kids. They have similar/same packaging as “trix”, “doritos” etc. Please look over your kids candies!

  59. kaydince says:

    Halloween is cool

  60. skibidi says:

    WOW! This is amazing and I wish I had knew this sooner!

  61. skibidi says:

    happy Halloween guys and gals!

  62. Hi says:

    Ummm why the hobgoblins look so weird tho 🤔

  63. Abera EsL 182. class 2024 says:

    it is a very good idea to learn Halloween history and when and how it start?

  64. Dan_Bliss says:

    Nice,but we don’t celebrate haloween in my country.

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