VINTAGE HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS!

   Because of the long and storied history of Halloween, there are many Vintage Halloween traditions that have been associated with the holiday for many years. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve  as was called long ago, has a very special history all its own. The many vintage Halloween customs set this Halloween apart from many other special occasions. The origins of many vintage Halloween traditions are both very colorful and diverse. What we know as modern day Halloween traditions and festivities are rooted in the Vintage Halloween traditions from the original All Hallows Eve  celebrations from centuries long ago.   All Hallows Eve actually evolved from an even older tradition. The pagan festivial, Samhain, was celebrated by ancient Celtic people for many years before it evolved into All Hallows Eve. When Celtic immigrants began entering North America in large numbers during the 19th Century, they brought the

 tradition of Samhain with them, thus laying the groundwork for many of the vintage Halloween customs that are still with us today.    Samhain traditions included dressing up in animal costumes and going door to door in search of a feast. This of course, is the vintage Halloween precursor to what we now call trick-or-treating. With time, the Samhain celebration evolved into what we know of as All Hallows Eve during the19th century.     The origin of the name All Hallows Eve refers to the timing of Halloween, which is the day before All Hallows Day, now commonly referred to as All Saints Day. All saints day is religious holy day, set aside to honor the saints. All Hallows Eve is now referred to as All Souls day, Which is a day set aside to honor the souls of the departed.    The supernatural aspects of Halloween are strongly rooted in vintage Halloween customs and traditions. The association of ghosts and other supernatural elements with Halloween are rooted in the vintage Halloween beliefs that stem from beliefs about what happens in the supernatural world on the day set aside to honor those who have passed into the next life. Many people believed that All Hallows Eve was the

 one night when ghosts come in contact with the world of the living. In light of this belief, a ghost costume may just be the best selection to honor vintage Halloween traditions in the modern world.   As time went by, All Hallows Eve evolved into what we now know as Halloween. During the evolution of Halloween from its ancient beginnings to modern day Halloween, the celebration was actually known by several other names. Vintage Halloween names include Hallowe’en, which is a contraction of All-hallow-even, which represents, of course All Hallows Eve. Of course, today, the celebration is referred to simply as Halloween.    The next time you are enjoying a Halloween party, haunted house, or candy obtained through trick-or-treating, remind yourself that in continuing to observe the traditions of Halloween in the modern world, you are also paying tribute to vintage Halloween celebrations of centuries past.   While you don’t have to know the history of Halloween to enjoy the many fun and exciting events associated with modern day Halloween celebrations, it is very interesting to look at the long and storied origins of the vintage Halloween traditions that we still enjoy today.