Updated: Dec 8, 2023
Nominees:
Jon Batiste- World Music Radio
Olivia Rodrigo- GUTS
Janelle Monae- The Age of Pleasure
Lana Del Rey- Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
Miley Cyrus- Endless Summer Vacation
boygenius- the record
SZA- SOS
Taylor Swift- Midnights
Choose your pick in the comments below!
Updated: Dec 8, 2023
As you already know, kids, teenagers, and adults celebrate Halloween each year. The excitement shifts from the youthful feeling of going out trick-or-treating and dressing up, to attending parties or haunted house events. Simply staying home and giving candy out to kids gives adults joy and a sense of nostalgia, seeing themselves in the kids who have spent the fall-centered month finding the perfect costumes.
Many have probably asked themselves at least once in their life something along the lines of “Why is there a day dedicated to costumes and asking strangers for candy?” While it’s surely not something kids complain about, it is an interesting thing to ponder since the actual backstory of the holiday provides reason for our seemingly random modern traditions and practices. The somewhat irking origins of Halloween are heavily overlooked, and many will admit they don’t know the history behind the celebration even though it’s quite interesting!
Halloween dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain. This took place 2,000 years ago in countries now known as Ireland, France, and the United Kingdom. On November 1st, the Celts considered summer over and they celebrated their new year. This also meant the beginning of the cold winter, often associated with death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds between the living and the dead could merge, and boundaries blurred. On October 31st, the ghosts of the dead were believed to have returned to Earth. The ghosts were thought to damage crops and provoke trouble, but the Celts also believed these supernatural entities helped the Druids, or priests, predict the future. These prophecies were a large source of comfort during the dark, colder months to come. Druids built bonfires, where people gathered to burn crops or animals in sacrifice to the Celtic deities and spirits. In doing this, they wore costumes and told each other’s fortunes. When this sacred commemoration ended, they re-lit their hearth fires from the bonfire for protection.
By A.D. 43, the Roman Empire had conquered most of the Celtic territory, ruling the lands for 400 years. Two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the Samhain celebration, Feralia and Pomona. Feralia was a day in late October when Romans traditionally honored the passing of the dead. Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, and she was also celebrated on this day. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, linking to the tradition of bobbing for apples that many participate in during fall. Halloween was originally extremely limited in colonial New England because of the religious, Protestant belief systems there. As different European ethnic groups and American Indians began to share customs and beliefs, what we now imagine when we think of Halloween began to develop. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell fortunes, and dance. The telling of ghost stories began becoming popular, and by the mid-19th century, autumn festivities were common. New immigrants flooded America soon after this, popularizing the celebration of Halloween nationally.
Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money. This practice would develop into today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Halloween parties became very common in the late 1800s. Parents were encouraged to take anything too scary or frightening out of these celebrations for children since Halloween began to evolve into a day targeting the youth. This caused Halloween to lose most of its religious and sacrificial origins.
In the 1900s through modern times, Halloween developed into what we know now. The trick-or-treating practice was revived since it wasn’t very expensive, and it was an easy way for a community to share the celebration of Halloween. Today, an estimated $6 billion has been spent annually on Halloween in America, and it is now the nation’s second-largest commercial holiday after Christmas. While it’s arguable that some of the history and backstory of Halloween is chilling, it remains very intriguing and unique! The original undertones of the holiday may even contribute to the scary and frightening atmosphere of the celebration. Happy Halloween!
Updated: Dec 8, 2023
The chilling breeze that welcomed me gently,
while mellow melodies repeated in my ear.
The sight of a dim crescent moon
that stabbed my eye,
Not with its light,
but with its alluring view.
Crossing these streets,
I saw houses with doors closed.
I wandered more thoughts
while falling into alienation,
In awe of the mere existence
I once took for granted.
I want to be in this moment. Eternally.
But I can't. I could never.
The melodies stopped,
The thoughts faded.
Now I hear chatters of familiar voices.
I am back to where I was,
Something held me back.
Something part of me- human.
