Halloween is the one time of year where we all dress up as we normally would if it wasn’t for societal standards telling us that wearing a dirt covered Captain Kirk mask and bloody hiking boots wasn’t appropriate work attire. ‘But where did this tradition come from,’ you may be asking yourself. Well, to learn about that, first we have to learn about the origin of Halloween itself.

Halloween started around the eighth century. The Celtic people had invented a holiday known as All Hallows Eve. They would celebrate the day by having all the druids build a large bonfire. They would then all dance around the bonfire wearing animal skulls and fur pelts, essentially being the world’s first ever halloween costumes. After the celebration was over, they would extinguish the bonfire, and go back home to light a flame to protect them from the coming winter. 

Jump forward to 43 A.D. The Roman Empire had finally conquered the Celt’s land over a period of around 400 years. The Romans had declared that they would be combining one of their festivals with the traditions of All Hallows Eve. 

After a few more centuries, Pope Gregory III had declared November 1, as a holiday to celebrate and honor the saints. All Saints Day as it was called, quickly incorporated the traditions of All Hallows Eve. The evening before All Saints Day was then renamed to Samhain. Eventually, in 609 A.D, a new pope, Pope Boniface IV, was the one to dedicate Samhain to Christianity. 

Christianity had spread back to the Celt’s home of Ireland. They had celebrated the holiday much the same as they originally had, except instead of skulls and pelts, they had dressed up as angels and devils. Overtime, people were starting to shorten All Hallows Eve into Halloween.

Around 1,000 years later, Halloween had finally hit New England. Due to the strong Christian influence of the time, Halloween was seen as Satanic, so the amount of people who actually celebrated it was limited extensively. To help ease the general public, Halloween was changed and simplified. 

Kids from around the time would dress as ghosts and demons and play pranks, such as throwing eggs onto houses, defacing crops, or stealing. To prevent this, parents and farmers would give the children treats or candy. By the late 1800’s, companies and businesses had finally started to make products relating to Halloween, though these are a far cry from the given out nowadays.

Jumping to 1931, with the release of Dracula by Universal Pictures. Critics and audiences alike loved it, spawning movies such as Frankenstein that same year. All of this success had led to merchandise such as figurines, comic books, lunch boxes and, of course, some of the first ever licensed halloween costumes.

Halloween and its traditions have changed throughout the years. From the Celts dancing around a bonfire with goat skeletons, to children defacing private property dressed as warlocks, to the mass marketing of popular franchises that we know of today. So grab your nearest cow skull and bear skin rug if you’re looking for a historically accurate costume this year. Happy Halloween!