5 Fun Facts About the History of Halloween

This information was gathered from the book “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night” by Nicholas Rogers (2002, Oxford University Press). 

1. Halloween’s predecessor, Samhain, was closely associated with the supernatural because it was the beginning of winter- the darkest time of year. Various myths include tales of magic fog that made people invisible, fairy and elf visitations, and malignant birds delivering omens.

2. In the British Isles, Halloween has long been associated with marriage. In places such as Derbyshire, young women would use small rituals in hopes of meeting their future husbands in their dreams. Many people used divination or fortune-telling to predict their future spouse’s identify or profession. 

3. Halloween did not become overly popular in North America until the late 19th century. Big cities like New York and Philadelphia hosted a variety of celebrations including plays, games, and, of course, masquerades. Records of Halloween masks being advertised in stores date back to 1874 in Ontario.

4. America embraced Halloween more than ever in the 1920’s with mischief taking a leading role in the night. Competitions and costume dances were organized for both young and old and many towns hosted events meant to distract youth from vandalism and other nighttime follies.

5. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that horror become the dominant film genre of Halloween. While the old Universal films always made the rounds on television, much Halloween programming before then was family-friendly or more sci-fi based.

By: Jamie Zaccaria

Jamie Zaccaria is a wildlife conservationist by trade and writer by pleasure. She currently works for a wildlife conservation organization and writes fiction in her spare time. She is also a part-time Staff Writer for The Rational Online. She has published fiction in over 15 anthologies, magazines, and journals including with Scare Street, DBND Publishing, Black Hare Press and Breaking Rules Publishing. For a complete portfolio, please visit www.jamiezaccaria.com.