History of Halloween

By: KristaMultimedia Design, 3rd period10-25-12

How did Halloween get its name?• Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, got

its name from All Hallows Eve. It means the day before All Hallows Day, which is known as All Saints Day.

• The prehistoric holiday is said to mark the end of summer and the beginning of winter. It was celebrated with eating, bonfires, and respect to the dead.

• http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/History-Of-Halloween.htm

When did Halloween start to be celebrated?• The best evidence shows Halloween originated In the

Early Middle Ages as a Catholic vigil witnessed on the day before All Saints Day, which is November 1st.

• http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/halloween/a/History-Of-Halloween.htm

What is the connection between Salem and Halloween? (Next 2 slides)• Salem and Halloween are not connected.

Salem• The Salem Witch Craft Trials happened in colonial

Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Over 200 people were blamed of witchcraft, which is known as Devil’s Magic, and 20 people were killed. The colony confessed that the trials were an error and they paid back the families of the people who were sentenced.

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief-salem.html

Halloween• Halloween’s beginning dates back to the early Celtic

festival of Samhain. The Celts lived in the area that is now known as Ireland, The United Kingdom, and northern France.

• The Celts celebrated November 1st as their New Year. The day is marked as the end of summer and the harvest, but it marked the beginning of the cold winter. Winter was related with the death of humans.

• On October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, it was believed that the ghosts of the dead came back to Earth. As part of the event they built holy bonfires, people joined together to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celt gods. • http://www.history.com/topics/halloween

How old is too old to go trick-or-treating?• I don’t think that any age is “too old” to go trick-

or-treating. If you like going and you have fun while doing it, then I think that you should go. You get to dress up, go out, and get different types of treats. It can be a fun night for everyone.

Why are black and orange the colors that are used to represent Halloween?

BLACK!

• Halloween was, and still is in some places, a festival for the dead. Death is usually linked with darkness and absence of light indicated by the color Black.

• Black cats, witches, and cauldrons are a few things that remind people of Halloween.

• Halloween is mainly celebrated at night.

• http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/origin-of-halloween-colors-faq.htm

Orange!• The Celtics are given the most credit for beginning the holiday

as a festival of the harvest, so they chose they color Orange to represent Autumn. Orange, the most dominant autumn color, came from the pumpkin and the leaves during fall.

• A lot of people use pumpkins that they have hallowed out as urns or vases to hold masses of fall mums or they carve them into ghoulish or scary jack-o-lanterns with candles lit inside of them at night to make an eerie glow.

• http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/origin-of-halloween-colors-faq.htm

What do pumpkins have to do with Halloween?

• People carve scary faces into the pumpkins at Halloween time and they call these pumpkins “Jack-o-lanterns” because it goes back to the legend of “Stingy Jack”.

• http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history

What is the story behind the legend of Jack-o-lantern and where did it get its name?

• The Legend of "Stingy Jack"• “People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish

myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

• Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

• In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns”

• http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history

Why couldn’t carved pumpkins be used for Halloween in Ireland in the 14th century?• Carved pumpkins couldn’t be used for Halloween

in Ireland during the 14th century because pumpkins are native to America and they didn’t get cultured in Europe until the 16th century.

• http://seanbanville.com/2011/10/14/100-questions-for-halloween/

What vegetable was originally used for Jack-o-lanterns?• Turnips were originally used for Jack-o-lanterns

instead of pumpkins. It is said that they were used because they resembled skeleton heads. They were thought to contain wisdom and the spirit, they were placed by the door to scare demons away by the Celts.• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/

What_vegetable_was_originally_used_to_make_a_Jack_o_lantern

Fun facts about Halloween!• Halloween is the second highest earning commercial

holiday, after Christmas.• Samhainophobia means the fear of Halloween.• The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm

Craven. It broke the world record in 1993 with a 836 pound pumpkin.

• Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.• Children are more than twice likely to be killed in a

pedestrian/car accident on Halloween than any other night.• http://facts.randomhistory.com/halloween-facts.html