Halloween is right around the corner, and soon, little ones dressed as witches, wolves, and ghosts will start roaming the streets to get their hands on all the sweets. According to “Ranked: America’s Favorite Holidays by Marcus Lu “, Halloween is ranked third among America’s favorite holidays. This night is one of the most liked holidays in America, and it’s all thanks to the American colonists.
Way back in 1607 colonists came to America and when they came, they brought more than just themselves, they brought their traditions along with them. Most American colonists originated from England, which is where Samhain was celebrated. Samhain is where people dress up every year on October 31 because they believe spirits would cross over on this day, and they thought they could avoid them by dressing up like them. Most people in England followed these traditions because they believed that they were exciting and had a good time participating in them. When the American colonists came over they still celebrated Samhain because it was their tradition. Samhain soon became named Halloween.
Nowadays, people still celebrate Halloween every year on October 31. America has somewhat altered the tradition by passing out candy to little kids and dressing up like movie characters or animals rather than in scary costumes to scare away spirits. Another tradition that America has now is to carve pumpkins and put them out on your porch. Every one of these traditions has shaped this incredible holiday into what we now call Halloween.
