During the month of October spooky decorations adorn store aisles and neighborhood houses with eerie displays of carved pumpkins, screeching black cats, and ethereal ghosts. Cackling witches on broomsticks mingle freely with creepy bats and silent owls. How did these items come to symbolize Halloween?
Jack-O-Lanterns
The tradition of carving pumpkins originated from an Irish legend of Stingy Jack, doomed to wander endlessly through dark nights with only a burning coal in a turnip that had been hollowed out for light. People would carve scary faces into turnips and place them in their windows to keep “Jack of the Lantern” away. Immigrants to the United States began using native pumpkins rather then turnips, and the practice continues to this day.
Black Cats
Black cats have long been considered to be spiritual animals. Superstitions link them to witches, being able to sense good and evil spirits, even being incarnations of people themselves. Given the old beliefs that ghosts could return to earth and supernatural powers were strongest on the night of Halloween, black cats naturally became associated with this holiday.
Witches
Witches were believed to cast spells and commune with black cats, as well as consort with the devil. Due to the ancient beliefs that spirits of the dead could return on Halloween, it was thought that their power would be stronger on that night. Many superstitions persisted about witches, including one which involved wearing clothing inside out and walking backwards outside in order to see a witch flying through the sky at midnight on Halloween.
Bats and Owls
As bats and owls are nocturnal, both of these animals quickly became known as omens of bad luck or evil and associated with All Hallow's Eve. At one time it was believed that owls would swoop down on Halloween night and eat the souls of the dying, and people could be protected from this by pulling out their pockets and leaving them hanging out. Bats were thought to indicate the presence of spirits or ghosts. One superstition held that if a bat flew around a house three times on Halloween, death would be coming soon.
Ghosts and Skeletons
The origins of Halloween are rooted in the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-en), held on the eve of their new year November 1st. They believed that the spirits of the departed could return to earth as the boundary between the lands of the living and the dead were blurred during this time. So it is natural that Halloween imagery would include representations of spirits and death.
Masks and Costumes
During Samhain the Celts would wear costumes usually made from animal skins. As the church added All Saints' or All Hallows on November 1st and All Souls' on the 2nd, the celebrations together began to be known as Hallowmas. October 31st came to be called All Hallows' Eve, and eventually shortened to Halloween. The festivities resembled Samhain with bonfires and costumes such as angels and devils.
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