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4 8 Creepy Things To Know About Halloween

8 Creepy Things To Know

About The History Of

Halloween

By Brandi Neal

Halloween is the second favorite holiday of
millennials, according to The Harris Poll, and
the folklore surrounding the modern-day
spooktacular celebration of costumes and candy
just might make the hairs on the back of your
neck stand up. Creepy things to know about the
history of Halloween include a celebration of
communicating with the dead, witches turning
into cats, wearing masks made from dead
animals, and more. According to Live Science,
the day we now celebrate as Halloween has its
roots in pagan customs dating back more than
2,000 years.
"Halloween marked the Celtic New Year
and was originally called Samhain, which
translates to 'summer's end' in Gaelic," Live without questioning why it's part of celebrating don disguises so they would be mistaken for
Science reported. Because pagans didn't have Halloween. The story behind the Jack-o- spirits themselves and [be] left alone," Mental
the technology to document their traditions on Lantern is actually pretty creepy. Floss reported.
social media, facts about the fall festival are Mental Floss reported that the tradition
sparse, but many stories have been passed down of carving Jack-o-Lanterns is based in Ireland, 5. Witches Transform Into Black Cats
by word of mouth and live on in folklore. though it began with turnips instead of
"There was a belief that it was a day pumpkins. Legend has it that a man named Black cats have become so synonymous with
when spirits of the dead would cross over into Stingy Jack trapped the devil, and said he would Halloween that, in order to protect the felines,
the other world," folklorist John Santino told only let him go if the devil promised Jack he most animal shelters won't allow adoptions of
Live Science, adding that Halloween gave would never go to hell. The devil agreed, but black cats on Halloween, according to The
people a safe way to play with the concept of Jack failed to consider that not going to hell Spruce. The myth that relates black cats to
death, engage in supernatural activities, and didn't mean he would go to heaven either. witches goes back to the Middle Ages — despite
dress up in ways that were not socially Jack ended up in what is known as this legend being totally false, many people still
acceptable the rest of the year. purgatory in some religious traditions, and he fear black cats, and they tend to be the most
Halloween is a very different holiday in was condemned to roam the earth as a ghost for overlooked pets in animal shelters.
2019, but its ancient roots still inform the way all of eternity. "His old friend, the devil, gifted Once the most worshiped creatures in the
we celebrate. The creepy things to know about Jack a lump of burning coal, which Jack carried animal kingdom thanks to the Egyptians, the
the history some of your favorite Halloween around in a carved-out turnip to light his way," popularity of cats began to decline in the Middle
traditions might give new meaning to your All Mental Floss noted. "Locals began carving Ages, according to Today I Found Out, because
Hallow's Eve celebration. frightening faces into their own gourds to scare people started to associate them with witches.
off evil spirits such as Jack of the Lantern." As a massive and irrational fear of
1. Supernatural Energy Informs witchcraft washed over Europe at a feverish
3. Bats Bring Ghosts pace, stray cats that were often tended to by old
Fortune Tellers
women who were feared to be witches. Single,
OK, I am not a fan of bats, and have actually elderly women were accused not only of
In Celtic traditions, Halloween, or Samhain as it
dealt with trying to get one out of the house on witchcraft, but also of being able to actually
was called, was a day when the line between the
living and the dead was blurred, according to more than one occasion. What I didn't know, transform themselves into black cats. Side note:
according to Live Science, is that Medieval I have a black cat, and I have never once used
History.com. On this day each year, Celtic
folklore suggests that bats might have been him to transform myself into a black cat — as
priests known as Druids were able to
letting spirits into my house. Um, no thank you! far as you know
communicate with the spirit world and bring
"One myth was that if a bat was spotted
back fortunes for the coming year.
flying around one's house three times, it meant (Continued on Page 5)
"For a people entirely dependent on the
that someone in that house would soon die,"
volatile natural world, these prophecies were an
Live Science reported. "Another myth was that
important source of comfort and direction
if a bat flew into your house on Halloween, it
during the long, dark winter," History.com
reported. "To commemorate the event, Druids was a sign that your house was haunted because
ghosts had let the bat in."
built huge sacred bonfires, where the people
gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices
4. Costumes Help People Blend In
to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the
Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of With Spirits
animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell
each other’s fortunes." Multiple sources cite that the origin of the
Halloween costume actually has a practical
2. Jack-o-Lanterns Ward Off Evil purpose — to blend in with spirits. During
Spirits Samhain, Celtic people believed there was a
heightened ability to communicate with the
spirit world, and not everyone thought that was
If you stop and think about it, craving a face on
a good idea, so they tried to blend in with them
a gourd, putting a candle in it, and setting it out
instead.
on your porch is pretty weird. However, it's
"To fake out the ghosts, people would
something most people have always done