By ANTHONY GUERRERO
Tiger Media Network
FHSU History Club students unmasked Halloween’s history with students exploring its origins, sharing chilling facts, and showcasing vintage costumes in a spirited, educational gathering last week.
President of the History Club, Joana Lockwood, began the presentation by delving into Halloween’s earliest recorded origins through a video presentation by the YouTuber known as “Lady of the Library.”
Initially known as sowing, a Celtic Tradition that dates back over 2500 years, Halloween was celebrated for it is the halfway point between autumn and winter.
Countries that initially celebrated the tradition include Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
During Halloween it’s believed that the boundary between the living and the departed is at its most delicate, enabling spirits to traverse into the realm of the living. It’s also a period dedicated to commemorating and paying tribute to ancestors.
Lockwood continued the Halloween timeline, explaining how these traditions changed over time with the arrival of Christianity.
“These traditions would continue in new forms through the recently created Christian holiday of All Saints Day on November 1 in the seventh century,” she said. “Allowing for evolution and a blend of the ancient Pagan traditions with the newly converted Christian religion, the celebration of sowing quickly became All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day.”
After significant migrations from Scotland and Ireland, where these traditions first emerged, Halloween’s popularity grew nationwide during the 19th century.
The custom of carving pumpkins is one aspect of Halloween that has notably evolved since its introduction.
“The tradition of carving pumpkins traces back to the Irish custom of carving turnips or potatoes, and placing them at entrances of the home to scare off any evil spirits,” Lockwood said.
The discussion also covered the history of bobbing for apples, shedding light on the significance this activity held for participants long ago.
“Dating back to at least the 14th century, the practice of bobbing for apples surprisingly ties to romance and love in hopes of finding out the name of their soulmate,” Lockwood said. “Young girls would bob their heads in water to bite the apple name of their male suitor, creating a challenge for both the participants and their future relationships.”
If the apple was bitten into on the initial attempt, it was believed that the couple’s relationship would be enduring and strong. However, if the apple was bitten into on the second attempt, it signaled that the relationship would not last. Biting into the apple on the third attempt meant an inevitable failure of the relationship.
Multiple theories were discussed regarding the inception of trick-or-treating. These theories included guising to conceal oneself among wandering spirits, dressing in costumes and performing tricks for treats, as well as souling, a practice involving going from door to door for soul cakes in exchange for prayers for the homeowner’s departed loved ones in the afterlife.
The Latin American holiday, The Day of The Dead, was discussed, highlighting its increased popularity in recent decades in both the United States and other Latin countries. This surge in popularity is credited to its portrayal in popular culture, particularly through films such as Disney Pixar’s “Coco.”
Vice President of the History Club, Sarah Keiss, expressed her hope that the Halloween-themed meeting provided help to attendees during this stressful time in the semester.
“The point of our more fun meetings is to give people a stress reliever, a chance to talk to each other and kind of relax in that way,” she said.
The primary objective of most History Club meetings is to deliberate on advancing career skills, with a specific focus on History majors. However, students from different fields are welcome to participate in their monthly gatherings for engaging discussions and activities.
“We like to do both fun nights with our club like social gatherings and getting to know people outside of class as well as professional development where we teach important skills that are going to be important out in the career force,” Lockwood said.
Attendees played challenging trivia games followed by a showcase of costumes and stories from everyone’s childhoods.
The club’s upcoming schedule features a guest speaker from Ms. Magazine scheduled for 5 p.m. on Nov. 15 in Rarick Hall room 122. Additionally, on Nov. 29, the History Club will host a trivia night fundraiser at Defiance Brewery Downtown.