History of Halloween
Straddling between the line of fall and winter, death and life, Halloween, or All Hallows' Eve, comes from the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. The Pagans felt that October 31 was the one day out of the year that the boundary between the living and the dead overlapped. They believed the dead would come back to earth and cause illness or damaged crops. At that time, people participating in the Samhain festival would wear costumes and masks in an attempt to mimic evil spirits. By the 8th century, Pope Gregory lll designated November 1 as all Saint’s Day and the day before All Hallows’ Eve; later Halloween. Both All Saint’s Day and All Hallows’ Eve incorporated some the of the Celtic traditions that remain today.
The celebration of Halloween has changed over the centuries. In modern times, it has become a secular, community-wide festivity, more for the little one’s trick or treating every year in their ghost, goblin, princess or superhero costumes. For the adults, we reveille in the wearing of costumes at parties, trying to outdo one another for “best costume” bragging rights until next year!
Halloween Fun Facts
Did you know...
- 158 Americans participate in Halloween
- $6.9 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween this year, or $74/per person: $2.08 billion or 600 million pounds of candy will be spent, $2.6 billion on costumes, $330 million on pet costumes.
- The average American consumes 3.4 pounds of candy over Halloween
- October 30th is National Candy Corn Day
- In Alabama, it’s illegal to dress up as a priest.
Here at Glass Doctor of Raleigh, we want our customers to be safe while out and about! We understand that is important to keep your little ghosts and goblins safe while enjoying childhood activities of trick-or-treating on Halloween. Check out some Halloween Holiday Safety Tips from the American Red Cross.
