30 October 2008
U.S. Children, Adults Celebrate Halloween
Costumes, candy high priorities on night of October 31
Washington — While not an official holiday, the traditional October 31 Halloween celebration is much beloved by children in the United States, for whom the day is a chance to don costumes — often depicting ghosts, goblins and other "supernatural" creatures — and to collect candy and other treats from adults.
Plenty of adults also celebrate the occasion by attending costume parties, although their garb often depicts celebrities, political candidates or other public figures.
The National Retail Federation expects strong spending on Halloween decorations, candy and costumes in 2008 despite a bleak economic outlook. “Halloween sales may be a bright spot for retailers this year” since the holiday is a way to forget daily stresses and “just have a little fun,” says the NRF’s Tracy Mullin
Most Americans consider Halloween a festive occasion, but its roots long predate the United States and its meaning has changed greatly over time. Even today, many other nations observe their own versions of this festival.
Throughout history, many agrarian cultures have celebrated end-of-harvest festivals. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on the evening of October 31. It featured the wearing of masks and other ceremonies to ward off the spirits of those who had died during the preceding year, which were believed to revisit the earth on that one night.
Under the Romans, the holiday more closely came to resemble a harvest festival. As Christianity spread across Europe, folk beliefs often were adapted and incorporated, in their new forms, into such Christian occasions as All Saints’ Day (November 1). The evening immediately preceding All Saints’ Day was known originally as "All Hallows Eve" (“hallowed” means “sanctified” or “holy”), and it is from this title that Halloween derives its name.
Halloween came to English North America via different immigrant groups. The New England Puritans disapproved, but the observance took hold in a number of Southern colonies and was spread broadly by mid-19th century Irish immigrants. In the United States, Halloween evolved into a holiday celebrated primarily by children.
Today, the most prevalent Halloween customs are costumes and "trick-or-treat." While an estimated 36 million American youngsters dress up as “spooky” or supernatural characters — ghosts, witches, skeletons and the like — the purpose is not to promote the occult, but to collect candy.
The costumed children, usually accompanied by their parents (who often wait discreetly in the background) appear at their neighbors’ doors shouting "Trick or treat!" The neighbors, feigning fear of such scary ghosts, vampires and zombies, quickly distribute the treats, so as to avoid any possible "trick."
Another custom is the decoration of a pumpkin by scooping out the inside, carving out a face and illuminating the result with a candle. Today, these “jack-o’-lanterns” are purely decorative, but they originated long ago in Britain, where turnips were used, and the “jacks” were believed to ward off evil spirits.
Many youth forgo their candy in favor of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, collecting not sweets, but money, in small boxes distributed by the United Nations Children’s Fund. American children have collected more than $132 million in this fashion, with the proceeds funding education, immunization and other programs in the developing world. Additional information about this tradition that started in 1950 is available on the UNICEF Web site.
Some communities host festive Halloween parades. Anoka, Minnesota, population 18,000, has proclaimed itself “Halloween Capital of the World,” leading up to the big day with two weeks of activities including a "haunted house" and pumpkin-carving contest. New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood hosts a particularly raucous annual affair.
Even the White House has its share of Halloween ghost stories. For more information, see the White House Happy Halloween Web page. The U.S. Census Bureau also publishes a fact sheet on Halloween.
Also see “An Overview of U.S. Holidays” and Diversity on America.gov.
