Have you ever wondered about the origins of one of America’s first holidays? Halloween originally came from the Celtic Samhain festival. The traditions of this festival spread throughout Europe and eventually took root in Maryland. The colonists had early celebrations like parties, pranks, and ghost stories. The celebration hadn’t taken off until Irish immigrants started to settle in the New World. Through this, the traditions and celebrations began to grow. The melting pot of various cultures within the New World caused new Halloween traditions to emerge. “The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween” (Paula Curan).
As the History of Halloween continues to grow, the traditions continue to adapt with us. We have come a long way from the colonial parties of the past. In doing so, the celebrations of the holiday have grown along with us as a whole. We no longer go from door to door on Halloween night to ask for fruit, but we dress up as our favorite characters to receive a handful of candy from neighbors. While the celebrations have evolved with us, the name and holiday as a whole have stayed the same. Holidays can be the most uniting celebrations because we unite as communities and set aside our differences to share some joy and cheer. If we lose our cheerful spirit, the traditions won’t be the Halloween we know and love today.