Does Halloween Just mean Costumes?

Are you and your kids ready for Halloween this year? If you are still looking for just the right Halloween costume, shopping online will let you find exactly what you are looking for. The selection is larger than you will find in any brick and mortar costume shop. You can get the right size, fast shipping, and save money, too.

But, Halloween is much more than just a time to have fun being someone you are not. The earliest origins of our modern Halloween celebration is in the ancient Celtic observation of the end of harvest season. The ancient Celts observed the end of the growing season by slaughtering livestock to store for winter. They considered Halloween to be the day that the dividing line between the living and dead was temporarily invisible. The dead were believed to cause problems during the Halloween season by damaging crops and bringing disease. The tradition of wearing costumes and masks dates to this time, when the ancient Celts and Scots wore them to impersonate and appease the evil spirits.

Of course, as happened with many pagan holidays, the Church moved its observation of All Saints’ Day from May to the first day of November to coincide with the pagan Halloween observance. The original jack-o-lanterns were used in the British Isles and Europe as symbols of the departed. They were carved from turnips and rutabagas. In North America, most jack-o-lanterns are carved from pumpkins, which are larger and easier to carve.

The modern observance of Halloween has been largely separated from its pagan and early Christian roots, and is now treated by most people as a good excuse for a party and for their kids to wander the neighborhood in search of candy. Halloween costumes and party supplies have grown to be a major industry. In 2005, it was estimated that the average American spent over thirty five dollars on Halloween costumes.