From candy to cauldrons, Halloween’s favorite traditions have been brewing for thousands of years, according to Aaron Gale and Alex Snow, associate professors of religious studies in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
The religious scholars explain that modern American Halloween traditions have roots around the world, with many cultures besides the United States still celebrating the supernatural during events like China’s Festival of Hungry Ghosts.
Gale traces the origins of Halloween haunts to the following historical moments:
Halloween’s origins go back some 2,000 years to the Celtic druids, who celebrated Samhain, a fall festival that marked the changing of the seasons. The traditional colors of orange and black may have represented the shift from summer’s life and harvest to winter’s death and darkness.
The Celts believed that the lines were blurred between the realms of the spirits and the living on Oct. 31. Out of fear, people left food offerings or disguised themselves so that wandering spirits wouldn’t recognize or harass them — practices that may have inspired modern trick-or-treating.
The Halloween holiday began to take shape during the European witch craze of the Middle Ages. Thousands of people — mostly innocent women — were accused of witchcraft, and everyday household objects like cauldrons, cats and broomsticks became tied to the image of the witch. This ‘Golden Age’ of witches and the Devil helped create many of the visual symbols that still define Halloween today.
European immigrants brought their traditions and superstitions to the New World. Practices like England’s ‘souling’ — children going door to door begging for food or money — probably evolved into modern trick-or-treating.
By the 1920s, Halloween was a fixture of American culture, and by the late 20th century, it had become a multibillion-dollar industry built around costumes, candy and community.
Snow traces Halloween’s spooky Asian roots to the following:
The Halloween fascination with ghosts isn’t unique to Western culture — aspects of the holiday we know today have comparative manifestations across Asia, including the Philippines, Nepal, Hong Kong and especially China, where the Festival of Hungry Ghosts is celebrated annually on July 15.
Many cultures in Asia and elsewhere view ghosts as the spirits of dead people that now wander the world of the living. They can be scary and haunting presences — traditionally best avoided or kept at bay.
The Festival of Hungry Ghosts is one of the most vivid expressions of this belief system. A popular class of ghosts in China, the ‘hungry ghosts,’ or ‘egui,’ have origins in Buddhist mythology and are portrayed as endlessly tormented by hunger and thirst. During the festival, offerings are made to ease their suffering and to remember ancestors who may have become ghosts. Much like Halloween, it’s a major cultural and economic event — one of reverence, fear and celebration.