When the warm glow of jack-o’-lanterns lights up the night and the crisp call of “Trick or treat!” echoes through the streets, October 31st has arrived. Although often mistaken as a “ghost festival,” Halloween actually carries centuries-old cultural secrets. Beneath its festive exterior, a profound human connection to life, harvest, and community continues to flow.

The Origins of Halloween

Halloween traces back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, around 500 B.C. At that time, the Celts believed October 31st marked the “boundary between the living and the dead,” when spirits of the departed would return to the earthly realm. Therefore, people extinguished fires and dressed as ghosts to protect themselves, while lighting new bonfires to pray for a good harvest and safety.

Later, in the 1st century, the Romans merged Samhain with the harvest festival of Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees, introducing customs such as roasting nuts and biting apples. Subsequently, with the spread of Christianity, Pope Gregory III established November 1st as All Saints’ Day, and the preceding Samhain gradually evolved into Halloween, a religious eve honoring saints and the departed.

The Evolution of Modern Halloween

Meanwhile, the Irish Potato Famine in 1845 led to a wave of migration, bringing Halloween traditions to the United States and transforming them into a secular celebration. Carved pumpkins replaced turnips, and religious prayers turned into neighborhood festivities. By the 20th century, Halloween had crossed borders, becoming a global cultural phenomenon. Today, it is no longer purely a religious ritual, but instead a nationwide creative celebration. In fact, in the U.S., Halloween consistently ranks as the second-largest holiday in consumer spending, thereby reflecting its enormous cultural appeal.

Preparing and Celebrating Halloween

Modern Halloween preparations have become a vital ritual:

• Jack-o’-Lanterns: Families choose plump pumpkins, hollow them, then carve playful or scary faces and place candles inside. This tradition originates from the Celtic use of turnip lanterns to ward off spirits.

• Costumes: From classic vampires and witches to film-inspired characters, every outfit is a form of self-expression.

• Festive Supplies: Candy boxes, glowing accessories, and themed storage containers fly off shelves. Meanwhile, shops decorate with cobwebs and pumpkin displays, and even UNICEF leverages “trick or treat” for charity fundraising.

As night falls, Halloween celebrations reach their peak: children roam from house to house with pumpkin-shaped bags, their calls filled with innocent anticipation; adults let loose at themed parties, while masks and costumes free them from daily constraints. Around the world, celebrations take unique forms: fireworks light up the skies in British Columbia, Canada; Swedes visit cemeteries to honor the dead; Filipinos exchange songs for holiday treats. Despite these differences, all celebrations share the same core—connection: connecting neighbors, the living and the dead, tradition and the present.

The True Spirit of Halloween

Beneath the fun and chaos, Halloween’s essence has remained unchanged:

• Gratitude for Harvest: Celebrating the year’s hard work and abundance.

• Reverence for Life: Honoring the departed and understanding mortality.

• Community Bonding: Strengthening social ties through celebration, parties, and charity.

On this night, people release stress through dressing up, build closer bonds through trick-or-treating, and reflect on life and death. Halloween is not just about revelry; instead, it embodies warmth and creativity that have lasted for centuries.

🎉 CAMEI Wishes You a Happy Halloween!

Therefore, embrace the unknown with laughter, brighten the ordinary with creativity, and warm the world through connection—this is the precious gift Halloween offers to everyone who participates.