On Oct. 31, as dusk sets in, thousands of children across Newfoundland and Labrador will take to the streets dressed in ghoulish and garish costume seeking sugary treasures, with shouts of “Trick or Treat!,” even in these unprecedented times of COVID-19.
In the province’s weekly COVID briefing, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald suggested those giving out treats should do so using small grab bags so as to minimize handling of the goodies.
It’s a consideration that accompanies the many adjustments and changes that come with a pandemic.
However, not everything is changing about Halloween, especially the home decorating that has become more popular each year, with people dressing up their residences in all ways, shapes and forms.
On Wednesday, Telegram multi-media journalist Joe Gibbons went on an excursion in the streets of metro St. John’s seeking out some of those decorated houses.
And as he put together his pictorial selections, Joe decided to do a little research, Googling about Halloween to provide some tidbits and historical background to intersperse with his photos.
Summer's end
The origins of Halloween are believed to date back to the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain. Samhain means "summer's end" and is the Gaelic word for November. The Celts believed Samhain marked the transition from the growing season into winter. They also believed that the celebration also marked the time that the boundary between the living and the dead was at its thinnest. Costumes and masks were worn to disguise themselves and ward off harmful spirits. Other scholars believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain.
Bob's your Roman uncle
After the Romans took over Celtic land in AD 43 a few new traditions were tacked onto the Celtic celebration. One such celebration honoured the Roman goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol for Pomona — an apple — is seen in present-day Halloween celebrations in the tradition of bobbing for apples.
Cakes for prayers
Trick-or-treating originated around AD 1000. By that time, Christianity had spread to most Celtic lands and had begun incorporating at least some aspects of pagan ceremonies. On All Souls Day — Nov. 2 and a day dedicated to honouring the dead — the poor frequented the houses of the wealthy and received soul cakes. In exchange for the cakes, the poor would say a prayer for the homeowner’s deceased relatives.
Just one day in a three-day observance
Halloween is also known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve, a celebration observed in many countries on Oct. 31, which is the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide that included All Hallows’ Day and All Souls’ Day (see above). It was the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows).
A vigil for vegetarians
In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, while elsewhere it is seen as a more commercial and secular celebration. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.
A tradition imported with immigrants
Halloween celebrations were first introduced to Canada in the mid-1800s by Irish and Scottish immigrants. North America’s first recorded instance of dressing in disguise on Halloween was in Vancouver in 1898.
A phrase first heard in Alberta
The first recorded use of the term “trick or treat” was in Lethbridge, Alta., in 1927.
It's worth the cash
Since the 1990s, Halloween has especially grown in popularity. By 2014, it was estimated it represented a $1-billion industry and is thought to be worth much, much more today.