No Country Loves Halloween Quite Like the USA

photos courtesy of Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, has a rich and diverse history that blends Celtic, Roman, Christian, and American traditions. Here is an overview of the history of Halloween:

1. Celtic Roots: Halloween can trace its origins back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated around November 1st. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Celts believed that on the night before Samhain, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to return to Earth.
2. Roman Influence: When the Romans conquered Celtic lands, they merged their own festivals with Samhain. One of these was Feralia, a day to honor the dead. Another was a celebration of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, which is why apples became associated with Halloween.
3. Christianization: As Christianity spread, the Church attempted to replace pagan festivals with Christian holidays. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV declared November 1st as “All Saints’ Day” to honor saints and martyrs. The night before became “All Hallows’ Eve,” later shortened to “Halloween.”
4. Medieval Traditions: In medieval Europe, Halloween evolved into a time of feasting and merriment. Activities like “souling” and “guising” involved dressing up in costumes, going door-to-door, and receiving food or money in exchange for prayers or songs for the dead.
5. Irish Influence: Irish immigrants brought Halloween customs to America in the 19th century. Jack-o’-lanterns, originally carved from turnips, became popular with pumpkins in the United States. The tale of Stingy Jack, a man who tricked the Devil, is linked to this tradition.
6. Commercialization: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Halloween transformed into a more community-centered holiday, with parades, parties, and costumes. Greeting card companies started producing Halloween cards, and costumes were commercially manufactured.
7. Modern Halloween: Today, Halloween has become a widely celebrated holiday in the United States and many other countries. It includes activities like trick-or-treating, costume parties, haunted houses, and the decoration of homes with spooky themes. It’s also a time for horror movies, ghost stories, and a variety of treats and candies.

Halloween has evolved into a holiday that combines ancient traditions with more recent customs, making it a unique and widely enjoyed celebration of the supernatural, spooky, and fun. these days no country loves Halloween quite like the USA. Indeed, this year a whopping 73% of Americans will be celebrating the hair-raising holiday in some capacity, up 4% from 2022 and some 15% from 2020, when going door-to-door for freebies was the last thing on our minds. Compared with the 56% of Britons and 45% of Canadians who reportedly celebrate, the US reigns supreme in spookiness.

The National Retail Federation, which has been running surveys of Halloween spending and participation for decades, estimates that total Halloween spending in the US will reach a record $12.2 billion in 2023 — only slightly less than the entire GDP of Namibia — surpassing last year’s $10.6 billion.

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