Halloween History

Everything from the beginning...

Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets or money. It is celebrated in much of the Western world, though most common in the United States, Puerto Rico, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and with increasing popularity in Australia and New Zealand. Halloween originated in Ireland as the pagan Celtic harvest festival, Samhain. Irish, Scots and other immigrants brought older versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century.

The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows Day".[1] In Ireland, the name was All Hallows Eve and this name is still used by some older people. Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries and given a Christian interpretation. In Mexico November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as the "Dia de Los Muertos" Day of the Dead. Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca, a mischievous spirit. In Australia it is sometimes referred to as "mischief night", by locals.

Halloween is sometimes associated with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent.

Remember getting all dressed in your costume to go trick-or-treating? Pure spooky joy! Awoooo!!! To keep it fun, everyone needs to stay safe.

Here are 13 helpful tips to make sure your kids have a healthy and happy Halloween.

Accompany your kids if you don’t think they’re old enough to trick-or-treat on their own.
If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell your kids to stay in a group.
Designate a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it.
Have your kids trick-or-treat in areas where there are a lot of people around. They should also avoid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots.
Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.
Make sure your kids don’t go inside someone’s house. They can get their candy from the porch.
Dress your kids in a bright costume so others can see them. If their costume is dark, have your kids wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.
Goes without saying but just in case you forget, ensure your kids’ costumes aren’t so long that they can trip over them.
Instead of masks, have your kids wear make-up so they can see better.
Check your kids’ candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.
Tell your kids to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.
Encourage your kids to follow all the regular rules for walking around. That includes looking both ways before crossing, obeying all traffic laws and using cross walks and crossing lights where available.
Finally, make sure your kids have tons of fun and get lots and lots of candy!

HALLOWEEN PICTURES:

2004

2005

2006

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