Halloween is one of America’s most popular holidays, but its history is much older than most people think. It started over 2,000 years ago with the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated on November 1st. On the night before, people believed that the dead returned as ghosts. They left food and wine outside to keep spirits away and wore masks so ghosts would mistake them for one of their own. In the 8th century, the Christian Church replaced Samhain with All Saints’ Day, also called All Hallows. The evening before became All Hallows’ Eve, later shortened to Halloween.
Many Halloween traditions, such as trick-or-treating, come from medieval Britain. Poor people asked for “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers for the dead — this was called souling. Others dressed in costumes and performed songs or jokes for food or money — this was called guising. Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these customs to America in the 19th century, creating modern trick-or-treating. By the 1950s, it became a fun activity for children. Today, Halloween is the second biggest commercial holiday in the U.S., with billions spent on candy and costumes every year.
Vocabulary:
• origins (noun): where something begins or comes from.
• roaming spirit (noun): a ghost that moves around freely, often believed to wander without rest.
• fellow (adj): belonging to the same group.
• century (noun): a period of 100 years.
• needy (adj): very poor people who need help.
• pastry (noun): sweet baked food made of dough.
• hijinks (noun): playful or mischievous tricks.