Halloween came into existence around 2000 years ago. It was also called All Hallows’ Eve. In 835, it became an official date in the Frankish Empire. Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it was a Germanic idea, although it is claimed that both Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples commemorated the dead at the beginning of winter.
Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices. The English word “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which refers to the fact that it is the evening before All Saints’ Day. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead become blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. The first celebrations included “play parties,” which were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing.
Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats. In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday that was more about community and neighborly get-togethers than ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. In the United States, the first official citywide Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minnesota, in 1921. On Halloween, everyone gets to dress up and be whoever they want to be. It’s the one day of the year when anyone can play dress up, from cute to scary, and anything in between. It’s fun to see which costume adults, kids, babies, and even pets will wear each year.
In our own time, people celebrate Halloween with trick or treating, watching scary movies, going to Halloween parties, dressing up, going Halloween shopping, and/or decorating their houses. This year, trick or treating in Oak Forest will run from 3-7 pm. If trick or treating is not one’s thing, there’s always a movie. Some scary movies released this year are Insidious, Scream 4, Winnie the Pooh, The Boogeyman, and Renfield. There are other movies to watch, but these are the top releases.
Some people also throw Halloween parties. Halloween parties have different themes, such as Chuckie, Jigsaw, Michael Myers, Five Nights at Freddie’s and so much more. If you are not going trick or treating and passing out candy, you could also contribute to the tradition and dress up. Some ideas may be Barbie and Ken, clowns, Jason Vorhees, or Sesame Street characters.
