Sip Or Treat
Celebrated in various countries worldwide, Halloween is best known for its scary movies, costumes and an excuse to eat tons of teeth-rotting candy. While countries like Ireland celebrate with bonfires and fireworks, families in Mexico honor the day as a celebration for those who have passed, known as "Day of the Dead." In the United States, of course, children dress up in fantastical costumes and head out to trick or treat or cause mischief. So, how did this holiday first come to be?
History of Halloween
Samhain Festival
The Festival of Samhain is Celebrated in Glastonbury by History.com
Halloween first originated over 2,000 years ago during the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-in), in which the ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. The celebration would begin to mark the transition from harvest season to winter on what is now October 31st. This seasonal transition was often associated with darkness, cold and death as the Celts believed that the veil between the living and the dead was weakened, allowing spirits to cross over. The festival included building large, sacred bonfires where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. Celts would also dress in costumes made up of animal heads and masks to frighten away evil spirits. Later, when the Romans conquered the Celts in the 1st century, they added their festivals to the mix, which helped mark Halloween today. The first was Feralia, celebrated in late October in which the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Pomona is symbolized by the apple, which explains the tradition of bobbing for apples each year on Halloween.
All Saints' Day
On May 13th, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to honor all Christian martyrs, and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival to include all saints and martyrs and moved the observance from May 13th to November 1st, marking All Saints' Day. By the early 9th century, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, where it gradually blended with old Celtic traditions. Finally, in 1000 A.D., the church marked November 2nd as All Souls' Day, a day to celebrate and honor the dead. All Souls' Day was celebrated quite similarly to the Samhain Festival, with big bonfires, parades and many dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. All Saints' Day was also called All-Hallows or All-Hallowmas (derived from the Middle English word, Alholowmesse). The night before it, marked the traditional night of Samhain Festival, began to be called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween as we know it today.
Halloween Comes to America
While the origins of Halloween date back thousands of years, it wasn't until the 1840s that European immigrants brought the holiday to America. The celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems, making Halloween much more common in the Southern colonies. However, over the years, as the beliefs and customs of different European groups and the Indigenous Peoples began to form, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge from the shadows. The first celebrations included "play parties," in which neighbors would gather to celebrate the harvest while sharing stories of the dead, telling each other's fortunes, dancing and singing. Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house-to-house asking for food or money, a practice known today as 'trick-or-treating.' By the late 1800s, Halloween was shifting from a day of ghosts, witchcraft and ghouls to a day centered on community and family-friendly get-togethers. By the turn of the century, Halloween parties for children and adults had become the most common way to celebrate, focusing on games, seasonal food and festive costumes.
Present Day
Halloween for Children
During the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween was known as a community-centered holiday. However, due to the 'baby boom' in the 1950s, the holiday shifted back toward young children, with many celebrations taking place in the classroom. With this, communities also revived the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating as a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share in the Halloween celebration. In theory, it was believed that families could also prevent tricks from being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. Today, Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday after Christmas.
Halloween for Adults
What was once recognized as a holiday geared toward children has grown exponentially, with over 70 percent of adults participating in Halloween celebrations each year. The love of this holiday stems from its European origins as a way for community members to connect with one another through festivals and ancient traditions. At the same time, many adults find that their favorite part of the holiday is the chance to be, at least for a night, whatever they wish. Swap trick-or-treating for costume parties and bar hopping, and today, alcohol is as important as candy to the Halloween economy when it comes to a truly wicked celebration.
The Drunken Skull
1 oz. Northside Vodka
½ oz. blackberry liqueur
½ oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. Prosecco
Combine the Northside Vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a wine glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a blackberry skewer.