Halloween

Written By:  Andrew Eide

My memories of Halloween as a kid was that of dressing up in fun costumes and going out on Trick Or Treat expeditions with my father, sister, and friends. We didn’t care where the day or the celebration came from. We only cared that we could come home with a bounty of candy and pig out on the candy until we wanted to puke!

Today I will discuss Halloween but I will keep the controversial aspects of it out of my article. I honestly don’t care what some religious groups say about Halloween but I respect their right to state how they feel. I simply wish to discuss some simple aspects of how this day came about and I wish to focus on the fun aspect of Trick Or Treating.

The word Halloween seems to represent a Scottish variant on the fuller term All Hallows’ Eve (Evening) which is the night before All Hallows’ Day.

Some people state that the origins of Halloween may be from the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, and also linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which is derived from the Old Irish Samuin meaning summer’s end. There is also an indication that this was the time of the year when the physical and supernatural worlds were the closest and magical things could happen.

There appears to be a later Christian influence concerning what we call All Souls’ Day falling on November 1.

Trick-or-Treating seems to be derived from the Middle Ages when poor folk would go door-to-door on Hallowmas (November 1) and receive food in return from prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. The modern Trick-or-Treating we have today is more along the lines of an evening out with the kids, where they can collect candy and other goodies, and have a good time. The original concept of stating Trick-or-Treat, which indicated that if the resident didn’t give the visitor a treat, the visitor would play an evil prank or “trick” on them, has given way to what we have today.

There will be those who go way out and say something which is insulting or degrading about Halloween but we have to remember that they have the right to voice their opinions.

Just enjoy the little ghosts and goblins and witches who come to your door and shout Trick-or-Treat and be sure to give them a little something for their enjoyment.