While celebrations of this sort reach the majority of the United States and Europe -- and a few other scattered countries of the world -- the festivity that reaches the world of college students on the same day is somewhat different. In this part of the world, costumes are still a must on Oct. 31, but the goal is rarely to frighten and generally to wear that which may be frowned upon during any other parts of the year, which naturally means to bare as much skin as possible. The trick-or-treating tradition is ignored, and candy becomes an afterthought. Most important on this day is figuring out the Halloween party to attend on this night, generally based on whichever of the options will have the greatest amount of alcohol. However, despite Halloween's widespread popularity in nearly every reach of America -- unlike holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving -- little, if any, emphasis is ever placed on Halloween's background or significance. Why do we celebrate Halloween?
Halloween's roots may be traced as far back as 2,000 years to the Celtic festival Samhain on Nov. 1, the Celtics' New Year's Day. The day before Samhain was considered a sacred, eerie occasion when barriers between the living and the deceased withdrew and spirits were free to roam the earth as they pleased. Folklore-held demons, goblins and other mystical creatures surfaced on this mysterious day as well. The Celts celebrated the eve of Samhain, Oct. 31, by wearing costumes to confuse and drive away the wandering spirits. Traditional costumes often involved donning animal skins, masks and the clothing of the opposite sex. Even trick-or-treating potentially evolved from the customs of the Celtic holiday, where people were said to travel to neighboring homes performing amusing acts or "tricks" in exchange for food, drink and company.
The word Halloween originated from a similar holiday in the seventh century, termed by Pope Boniface IV as All Saint's Day or All Hallow's Day, comparable to and falling on the same day as the Celtic Samhain. The preceding day was thus termed All Hallow's Eve, and eventually, Halloween.
Halloween did not become a celebration in the United States until the 19th century, previously restricted because of overlying Puritan tradition that regarded Halloween as a purely pagan or Satanic ritual. The large Irish migration following the Irish Potato Famine finally introduced and popularized the holiday in the mid-to-late part of the century. Since, Halloween culture in the U.S. has grown exponentially, forming the point of reference for most of the rest of the world.
Commercialization of the 20th century has turned Halloween into one of the highest profiting occasions of the year, currently grossing a sum reaching $5.77 billion dollars annually and growing each year. The average American spends around $66 on Halloween paraphernalia, including a costume, candy and decorations. Costumes, of course, consistently range from the ever-classic traditions to representations of pop culture of the time. The most popular guise for children this Friday will be a princess, which an estimated 10.5 percent of children will be this Halloween 2008. Following princess, the most highly occurring costumes will be a witch, Hannah Montana, Spiderman and a pirate. The most popular adult costume is that of a witch (representing nearly 15 percent of costumed adults this holiday), followed by a pirate, a vampire, a cat, a fairy and a nurse.
Horror movies, with or without a Halloween theme, have grown to be another pillar of the Halloween season. Necessary to any Halloween-themed movie collection is "Halloween," the most widely spread thrasher movie dedicated to this season. Other classics typically associated with the holiday include "Night of the Living Dead," "The Shining," "The Exorcist," and the more whimsical "Rocky Horror Picture Show."
Halloween's rich, if somewhat obscure, culture is intriguing and inviting. Enjoy it by watching a horror movie while eating half a pound of candy before the night's festivities start, or picking and carving a giant pumpkin. However it's celebrated, and wherever it originated, Halloween has become an irresistible American tradition, enjoyed by all who take part. Happy Halloween!
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