Why do we celebrate Halloween?

When and where does the story of Halloween begin? How did Halloween evolve into the festival we know today? Learn more about the history of Halloween and the origins of trick or treating and the Halloween pumpkin here.

When pumpkin faces flicker in windows and front yards, when little witches and demons in imaginative costumes scare the neighbors, when being scared is more fun than scared, then it’s that time again: It’s Halloween. The term derives from “All Hallows Evening” on October 31, the eve of “All Hallows Day” (All Saints’ Day).

We know Halloween from North America as today’s carefree costume party. From there, the custom has spread continuously to Europe since the 1990s. In the meantime, Halloween parties are also being celebrated in many places in Germany, although not quite as elaborately as on the other side of the Atlantic. However, the origin of the Halloween story is not in America, but in Europe. Strictly speaking, the custom did not spread to Europe, but spilled back.

Why do we celebrate Halloween?

The history of Halloween begins in the 5th century BC. Even at that time, on October 31, terrifyingly masked figures could be seen roaming around noisily. It was the Celts who primarily celebrated their New Year festival “Samhain” in Ireland. They believed that on this day the worlds of the living and the dead merged and evil spirits sought to enter the souls of the living. To protect themselves and not to be recognized by the dead, people disguised themselves.

In the 19th century, Irish immigrants brought the custom to America as a reminder of their homeland, where it eventually grew in popularity. So the festival continued to develop over time and became more and more commercial.

History of the Halloween Pumpkin

One of the most central Halloween symbols is certainly the pumpkin. Its use goes back to an Irish legend, according to which a drunkard named Jack had an affair with the devil on October 31st and was denied access to heaven after his death. Even the devil didn’t want to accept him into his world and instead gave him a never-ending coal for the way through the darkness. He is said to have put this in a hollowed-out turnip. Since then, Jack has been said to wander through the darkness with his turnip lantern.

The name Jack O’Lantern (Jack with the lantern), which today stands for the Halloween pumpkin, stems from this legend about Jack. The Irish immigrants in America switched from beets to pumpkins: They found that pumpkins were more common there and were also easier to hollow out.

Origin of Halloween: Trick or treat

The classic Halloween ritual of “trick or treating”, i.e. “begging” for sweets, has a Christian origin. On the commemoration day “All Souls Day” on November 2nd, around the 10th century, Christians went around Europe to ask for so-called soul cakes. In return, prayers were made for the deceased relatives of the soul cake donors.

According to today’s understanding, the Halloween festival with its classic components can be traced back to ancient Celtic and Christian customs and an Irish legend.

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