Halloween costumes are a controversial topic. Some people think they’re fun and others think they’re offensive. This year, a video of a white woman being called out for wearing an ‘offensive’ costume went viral. In the video, she was dressed up as a gypsy and said “it’s Halloween, it’s not like I’m being racist.” The argument brought up in the video is one that has been brought up time and time again: there is no room for cultural appropriation on Halloween and anyone who does it is insensitive to minority groups.
The truth is that many costumes worn on Halloween have roots in different cultures and ethnicities around the world. So why are some costumes deemed acceptable while others are seen as offensive? Why can someone dress up as an Egyptian Pharaoh but not as a gypsy? Why can you wear a Native American headdress but not blackface?
The answer dates back to the origins of Halloween which has long been celebrated by various cultures around the world, including those of Celtic origin and Native Americans. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the Catholic Church began appropriating pagan holidays to make them Christian holidays. For example, when the church moved All Saints Day—which was originally
Halloween is a holiday that dates back thousands of years. The history and events surrounding Halloween have evolved over time. The most popular belief is that Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival Samhain, which translates to “summer’s end”. The festival was held on November 2nd and marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Winter was associated with human death and evil spirits who were believed to be present during this time. All Hallows’ Eve was celebrated on October 31st and dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and loved ones.
The word “Halloween” originated from All Hallows’ Eve, which means “hallowed evening”. As a result, it is no surprise that many of our modern day Halloween traditions are influenced by folklore. For example, the Jack-o-Lantern originated from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the Devil. The Devil cursed Jack to walk forever with only a burning coal inside of a carved-out turnip as his only source of light. These lights are now known as Jack-o-Lanterns. Trick or treating also has its roots in folklore; children would go door-to-door asking for food to appease evil spirits
Halloween.
Halloween is a holiday with a rich history and traditions, but one that has evolved over time to include many of the features we recognize today. As you are planning costumes and celebration this year, take a moment to learn about the history behind some of our favorite Halloween traditions.
The Trick or Treat Tradition
The tradition of dressing up in costume and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the middle ages and the practice of souling on All Souls Day. Souling involved poor folk going door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in return for food. The practice was later taken up by children who would go from house to house demanding treats such as cakes or money with the question “Trick or treat?” If they were refused, they would sometimes play pranks on the homeowners. This latter practice was known as guising, and is still done by children around the world today during Hallowmas celebrations. On May Day, children in Scotland traditionally dress up in costumes made from old clothes and go door-to-door singing songs in exchange for small treats. In Ireland, there is a tradition of both mumming (a term which may be derived from mummery) where people dress up to visit neighbors’ homes at Christmas time
October is a time for costumes, pumpkin spice, and festivities! Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in the U.S., after Christmas. The tradition of dressing up and trick-or-treating on Halloween began centuries ago, in a region known as Samhain in Great Britain.
During this time of year, folks would dress up as ghosts and perform plays or “mumming” to show their appreciation to their neighbors. Today, Halloween has become a children’s holiday where kids can dress up as any character they please (even fictional ones!) and go door-to-door collecting candy. As children age, they may choose to wear more suggestive or scary costumes to intensify their experience.
However, traditional costumes such as Gypsies are not always appreciated at this time of year, even if they are meant to be harmless or fun! In 2012, three high school girls in Texas dressed up as “Mexicans” for Halloween. One girl was wearing a sombrero with a serape poncho; another wore an orange prison jumpsuit with a number on the back; and the third wore an oversized sombrero with a poncho that read “Mexican Food.”
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is a holiday based on an ancient Celtic festival. The ancient Celts were pagans and they worshiped the gods of nature. They believed these gods were responsible for bringing on the change of seasons.
The most important holiday to the Celts was Samhain. It marked the beginning of their new year and took place on November 1st. The Celts believed that at this time of year, the ghosts of dead people came back to earth and roamed about. They believed that when people died, their spirits went to another world where they lived until Samhain. At this time, the spirits returned to earth to visit their families. The Celts also believed that ghosts helped the Druids (Celtic priests) predict what was going to happen in the future by telling about events that had happened in the past.
On the evening before Samhain, the Druids would build big bonfires where people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, they wore costumes made from animal heads and skins and told each other’s fortunes. When they came home from this party, they would leave out food for any returning spirits who might be hungry after their long journey back to earth
The name Halloween is derived from the term ‘All Hallows Eve’ and means the evening before All Hallows Day.
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
The origins of Halloween can be traced back to an ancient pagan holiday known as Samhain. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and harvest and the start of the cold dark winter, a time that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On October 31st they celebrated Samhain when it was believed that ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for people to communicate with their ancestors.
The celebration was also a time to share stories of their ancestors and religious beliefs. Relatives would gather around bonfires offering sacrifices of crops and animals to their deities for protection from evil spirits for a good harvest in the coming year. Priests known as Druids were also known to wear animal heads and skins while performing rituals during this time.
The Romans conquered most of Celtic territory by 43 A.D., but gave up their efforts on expanding into Ireland in 100 A.D