America has carved its own Halloween traditions despite its Celtic origins, dating nearly 2,000 years ago.
“I celebrate Halloween by handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and going to Busch Gardens for Howl-O-Scream,” said sophomore Colt Walker.
The Celts, who mainly lived in western Europe, believed Halloween was associated with death, and that the souls of the dead would return on the night of Oct. 31. They called this time Samhain, or “the end of summer.”
Bonfires were lit, candy was distributed and costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits. They also carved out turnips and added candles into them, which is where Americans got the idea of pumpkin carving and decorating.
During Samhain, poor children would also go door to door begging for food, which is now known as trick-or-treating. While there were no certain age restrictions during Samhain, the maximum legal age to trick-or-treat in Virginia is 13.
“This year I plan on helping my friends hand out candy,” said junior Aaliyah Hilliard. “I haven’t been trick-or-treating since I was maybe 10.”
Halloween was first celebrated with “play parties,” thrown to ring in harvest. The holiday was known as dangerous, when children would play pranks that often resulted in injuries; however, that changed in the 1920’s when America began to promote more civilized celebrations.
“We hangout in our driveway with a fire pit and hand out candy to the kids that come by,” said math teacher Jennifer Blackmore.
Ocean Lakes celebrates Halloween with Fall Fest, a time where Dolphins get together, and clubs set up booths with games and candy prizes. This year’s Fall Fest will be on Oct. 30, from 5-7 p.m. on the field located outside the cafeteria.
