Exploring the history of Halloween celebrations from the perspective of Celtic and Latin American cultures. .
Written by Faith-Ann G. English
The Halloween season is incredibly important to many individuals across the United States. Every year, people participate in decorating, pumpkin carving, costume making and wearing and trick-or-treating. But where do these traditions originate?
Samhain
Halloween is very closely related to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sah-win). Samhain is a Pagan celebration that includes many of the same traditions we now use to celebrate Halloween. The festival of Samhain is celebrated near the end of the harvest season as we transition into winter. During this time, Celtic people believed that the festival allowed spirits to roam the earth. The tradition of wearing costumes on Halloween comes from their fear of being recognized by evil spirits. In fact, many modern-day Halloween traditions come from the Celtic practice of warding off evil.
They believed wearing costumes can only protect you from evil spirits while you are awake. To keep the spirits happy, they would leave food and drinks outside of their homes to keep the spirits at bay. As this practice became more popular, people started to dress like evil spirits so they could receive the offerings themselves. Those dressed in spirit costumes were tricking the Celtic people for their treats. Similarly, the Irish and Scottish would dress up in costumes and go to neighboring houses to sing for treats on the nights before Samhain. This theory seems to include less tricks, but oftentimes, tricks were blamed on the spirits or fairies.
As the Catholic people began to adopt some of the traditions of Samhain, the Celtic festival combined with All Saints’ Day and All Hallows Eve. Over time, this became the Halloween we all know and love. If you are interested in celebrating Samhain or All Saints’ Day, there are a few events in Cleveland happening in the months of October and November. There are All Saints Day masses at several local Catholic churches, and a Full Moon and Samhain event hosted by Little Scraps of Magic on Oct. 17. This event will be held at S’il Vous Play in Cleveland Heights and includes a healing sound bath, meditation and group sharing.
Day of the Dead
Another popular celebration that occurs during the Halloween season is Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is celebrated after Halloween on Nov. 1, Commemoration of All Souls, and Nov. 2, Solemnity of All Saints. The Commemoration of All Souls is a Catholic tradition, celebrated around the world. It is often compared to the celebrations of Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, but Day of the Dead’s traditions are entirely its own, with origins in precolonial times during the Aztec Empire.
The celebration often gets reduced to being a “Mexican version” of Halloween, but the customs and traditions of this Latin American holiday prove that it is more than costumes and candy. Day of the Dead marks the overlapping of the living world and the spirit world, making it possible for families to visit with spirits of their ancestors or passed loved ones. In Mexico and Central American countries, the celebration is mixed with precolonial traditions. In the U.S., the holiday has been mostly secularized, like St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.
To welcome their loved ones, families leave offerings such as food, drinks, flowers and other memorial items at gravesites and at home altars, also known as ofrendas. Some traditional foods include pan de muerto, spicy dark chocolate, atole, tamales and other comfort foods. During modern celebrations, people wear masks depicting calaveras or skulls and eat sugar skull candies. Mainly, the celebration is all about being with family and remembering loved ones who are already gone.
If you are interested in participating, the on-campus student organization, Latinos Unidos, plans on hosting an event in early November to celebrate Day of the Dead. They also host events celebrating other Hispanic and Latin American holidays. Follow their Instagram page (@csu.latinosunidos) for more information about their events calendar and meeting times!
For other community events, the Nottingham-Memorial branch of the Cleveland Public Library is hosting a Day of the Dead event on Oct. 31 to explore traditional celebrations. Similarly, the Cleveland Public Theatre is hosting their 20th annual Dia De Muertos celebration on Nov. 2. The event includes live music, an art market, food and altar installations that are free for people of all ages. Cleveland also throws a parade for El Dia de los Muertos.