Halloween came from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. Traditionally, people celebrated by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off the spirits. Pope Gregory III made November 1 a day to honor all the saints. The day before was known as All Hallows Eve but was later called Halloween.
American colonists would celebrate by having play parties. Play parties were public events where people would share stories of the dead, tell fortunes, sing and dance. During the early 19th century, Halloween was not widely celebrated, but there were autumn festivities. The second half of the 19th century brought more immigrants to the country and led to the popularization of the holiday. Over time, trick-or-treating gained traction and became extremely popular amongst American children.
Today, Halloween is the second most popular holiday after Christmas. It is most commonly celebrated by trick-or-treating, decorating houses, carving pumpkins, dressing up and watching scary movies. Senior Addison Gwin said “I like visiting haunted houses with my friends. It really gets me in the Halloween spirit.”
The city of Owatonna is hosting some Halloween festivities such as the spooky pumpkin trial that will display carved pumpkins as well as voting for the best pumpkin on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Kaplan’s Woods from 5-7 p.m. This event also includes Jack-O-Lantern Archery that will be held in two sessions, the first being Oct. 27 from 12-2 p.m. and the second being Nov. 2 from 12-2 p.m. It costs seven dollars per person for entry and participation. The last event is the adaptive Halloween party. It will be held on Oct. 24 from 5-7 p.m., costing $12 per person. The adaptive events are hosted for kids with special needs.
Halloween’s historic background has generated new ways to celebrate the nationally recognized holiday. Owatonna will be hosting various events during this year’s Halloween season to allow the community to enjoy the festivities.
