Halloween and the story behind Jack-O’-Lantern
Although Halloween has never been designated as an official holiday, the last day of October, Americans gather to celebrate the tradition of Halloween. Indeed, it is regarded as a special community-centered celebration both enjoyed by children and adults. Etymologically, Halloween is a shortened for the name “All Hallows Eve”, which means the day before the holy day “All saints day” celebrated by Christians.
How much American people get involved in Halloween festivities
Over time, Halloween continues to gain in popularity among people of all ages. According to the National Retail federation, every year 85 to 90 percent of US Children engage in Halloween festivities such as going trick-or-treating, dressing in costumes, parading that is also joined by 65 percent of US adults between 18 and 34.That means, Halloween is not a celebration meant only for kids but for adults too, as it is ranked at the 2nd place of American adults’ favorite holidays. In fact, 2019 Halloween holiday brought about 8.8 billion dollars in sales in the US, 4.8 billion dollars a decade ago and 6.9 billion in 2002.
Halloween and its background
Halloween is rooted in Europe and brought by immigrants to North America in the 19th century. It is actually a pagan tradition originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual festival of Samhain and mostly celebrated in the United Kingdom on the night of October 31. The Samhain celebration goes particularly along with a ritual allowing the living to make contact with the dead. That is why people from northern Europe, when celebrating Halloween, engage in spiritual tradition by believing in supernatural phenomenon and being strongly convinced that the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world fall down during the ritual.
There are various symbols when it comes down to Halloween, One of them is “Jack O’ Lantern” most commonly associated with pumpkins and trick-or-treat customs. In 1800, when immigrants from Scotland and Ireland came to North America, they brought with them their Halloween tradition along with their background and story. The Irish tale of Stingy Jack is the most popular Halloween-related short story. Jack is actually a drunkard who made a deal with Satan and was doomed to wander the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way, best known as the “will-o’-the wisp” or the one who flicks over the swamps, hence the name of “Jack O’ lantern”. Talking of Halloween in the US thus far, jack-o’-lantern refers most to a carved pumpkin, regardless the Irish legend on Jack and the glowering turnip. In fact, the Irish people carved spooky faces out of turnips or other vegetables to represent “jack of the lantern”. Whereas American people use pumpkins because they are overwhelmingly plentiful in autumn. Apart from carving scary faces over pumpkins, practicing “trick-or-treating” has also become a famous Halloween tradition in America. While parading on the night of Halloween, children go from house to house and knock on neighborhoods’ door for treats such as candies and snacks by shouting out “Trick or Treat”. Another form of “trick or treat” celebration is when children take with them small cardboard boxes with the logo of UNICEF and collect money instead of the usual treats so as to help needy children throughout the world.
Unfortunately this year, due to Covid restrictions, American people will not be able to enjoy fully Halloween celebrations.
Edited by Volahanta RAHARIMANANA
Sources: American English / Britannica/ Halloween 2020 HISTORY
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