Halloween started as a Celtic festival known as Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.The Celts believed that on the night of October 31st, the boundary between the dead and the living was blurred, and spirits could return to Earth once again. To ward off these spirits, bonfires were lit and costumes were worn.
With the influence of Christianity, the festival of Samhain merged with All Saints’ Day, and the night before became known as All Hallows’ Eve, now shortened to as we all know it, Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved with cultural influences and traditions from different regions.
Irish immigrants brought their customs to America, such as the tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns. Trick-or-treating can be traced back to the medieval times, but they called it “souling,” where people would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.Today, Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday filled with decorations, costumes, parties and festivities that bring communities together in the spirit of fun and imagination.
At Greenbrier West, we celebrated Halloween by having a “Wear Your Halloween Costume” day, and some teachers such as Chef Foley handed out candy to those who where dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Here’s a look at some of the students costumes.