Halloween Customs and Traditions

The Tradition of Pumpkin Carving

The Irish Legend of Jack:

The idea of pumpkin carving originated in Irish folklore. According to legend, a man named Jack (who was fond of pranks and booze) tricked the Devil into climbing up a tree. Once the Devil was in the tree Jack drew a cross on the tree truck, trapping him there. This of course made the Devil extremely angry, so when Jack died he was denied by both Heaven (for his pranks and drinking) and by Hell (apparently the Devil doesn’t like jokes).

With no where to go for the afterlife, legend says that Jack was left to wander through cold darkness alone. The devil tossed him a single burning ember from Hell to light to way, which was then placed in a hollowed-out turnip to last longer. Thus, Jack’s Lanterns were born.

From Turnip Lanterns to Spooky Pumpkins:

Turnip lanterns eventually turned into pumpkin lanterns in America, where pumpkins grew more bountifully than turnips. And that was the birth of the modern Jack-o-Lantern, a carved pumpkin with an ember inside to light the way.

The Tradition of Wearing Costumes

Samhain Costumes:

Costumes have been worn during Halloween long before it was called Halloween. Up to 2,000 years ago, Samhain revelers would don animal skins and heads to dance around the bonfire.

All Hallow's Costumes:

During All Hallow’s Eve, costumes were donned to trick the wandering souls into thinking you were one of them. This was done to prevent them from entering your home while you were out.

Modern Costumes:

By the 20th century, costumes were worn by both children and adults in a celebration of the holiday instead of as a way to trick ghosts. Festivals and parades accompanied the holiday, which created the association of Halloween with merriment and celebration in lieu of religious superstition.

Nothing to Sneeze At

An interesting historical tidbit is that the phrase "God Bless You" is actually associated with Halloween. The Welsh believed that every time you sneezed, you blew part of your soul out of your body. Hence, they would say "God Bless You" to anyone who sneezed to bless their soul.

Because of this, sneezing on Halloween was to be avoided entirely. It was believed to be extremely dangerous because wandering spirits or the devil could capture your soul as you sneezed!

Halloween Honeys

During the 18th and 19th century, Halloween was also believed to be the night when a young woman could found out who she was going to marry. Consequently, many young women spent Halloween performing elaborate rituals involving yarn and mirrors in order to get a glimpse of their future husbands.