The History of Halloween: Spooky Fun Holiday

The History of Halloween, a spooky fun holiday that is celebrated on October 31, has ancient roots that go back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain. This was a time when the Celts of Ireland, the UK, and northern France believed the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth. To ward off these spirits, people would dress in costumes and light bonfires. Over time, as Christianity spread, Samhain evolved into All Hallows’ Eve, a day of remembrance for saints, leading to what we now call Halloween.

In the 19th century, immigrants from Ireland and Scotland brought Halloween traditions to America, where it transformed into the family-friendly holiday we know today. Early Halloween involved community parties, games like bobbing for apples, and, of course, spooky costumes!

One of the most fun aspects of Halloween for kids is trick-or-treating, which became popular in the U.S. around the 1920s and 1930s. Children dress up in costumes, knock on doors, and say “Trick or treat!” in exchange for candy. But did you know the practice of going door-to-door for treats actually comes from an old custom called souling? In medieval Europe, people would go to neighbors’ houses asking for food or money in exchange for prayers for their deceased loved ones.

Fun Halloween Trivia

• Pumpkins weren’t always the Jack-o’-lantern of choice: The tradition of carving pumpkins comes from an Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack. However, people originally carved turnips and potatoes. When the tradition came to America, pumpkins—native to the continent—became the perfect, easier-to-carve alternative.
• The world record for the largest pumpkin: The biggest pumpkin ever grown weighed in at an incredible 2,702 pounds (about the size of a small car)! Imagine trying to carve that one!
• Candy corn was originally called “chicken feed”: This popular Halloween candy was invented in the 1880s and marketed to farmers. It was designed to look like kernels of corn, which were a main source of food for chickens at the time.

Spooky Story Recommendations for Kids

Looking for some spooky, but not too scary, books to get your little ones in the Halloween spirit? Here are some great Halloween tales for kids:

1. “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson: A delightful rhyming story about a witch and her animal friends who team up to face a dragon. It’s perfect for younger children and not too spooky.
2. “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything” by Linda Williams: This tale tells the story of a brave little old lady who faces a series of spooky things in the woods, but she’s not scared! Kids will love the interactive nature of the book.
3. “The Hallo-Wiener” by Dav Pilkey: A funny story about a little dachshund named Oscar who is ridiculed by his friends, but becomes the hero on Halloween night. It’s a light-hearted and funny Halloween story.
4. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz: This collection of creepy short stories is perfect for older kids who love a good scare!

Halloween Joke for Kids

Why didn’t the skeleton go to the Halloween party?

Because he had no body to go with!

PS more to learn about sugar in our next post an in Human Body Detectives, A Journey through the Immune System

xx

dr. heather