Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition of Halloween originated from an ancient Celtic festival of “Samhain”. During this festival, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, November 1 was designated as a day to honor all saints. Gradually, “All Saints Day” started incorporating the traditions of Samhain. The evening before this day was known as All Hallows Eve and the evening later as Halloween. Halloween then evolved into a day of festivities, involving trick-or-treat, carving jack-o-lanterns, costumes, and festive gatherings
History of Halloween
November 1, the day of celebrating Samhain, marked the end of Summer and the harvest. It was the beginning of long and dark winter days. The Celts, who lived almost 2,000 years believed that during this time, the boundary between the worlds of living and dead became blurred. They thought that the otherworldly spirits crossed over to the living world and caused troubles like damaging their crops. They believed that the presence of the spirits made it easier for the priests to make predictions about the future.
They gathered in the evening and built a huge, sacred bonfire, where people burned crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. They wore costumes, typically made of animal heads and skin, and attempted to tell each other fortunes. This is how the tradition of celebrating Halloween began.
Halloween Quotes For Kickstarting Your Spookiness
Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see
Edgar Allen Poe
Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve
Ray Bradbury
I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul
Bram Stoker
During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded
There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
William Shakespeare
We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones
Stephen King
Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see
Edgar Allan Poe
I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey
The Criminologist, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Where there is no imagination there is no horror
Arthur Conan Doyle
It’s as much fun to scare as to be scared
Vincent Price
Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue
Ichabod Crane
Be afraid … Be very afraid
Ronnie, The Fly
No good deed will I do again
Elphaba
Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen. Voices whisper in the trees, ‘Tonight is Halloween!’”
Dexter Kozen
Witch parking. All others will be toad
I love Halloween, and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner
Evan Peters
The world turned upside down—in a good way—for one black velvet night
Karen Fortunati
Amusing Halloween Quotes
I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color
Wednesday Addams, The Addams Family
Wench! Trollop! You bucktoothed, mop-riding firefly from hell!
Billy Butcherson, Hocus Pocus
Some people are born for Halloween, and some are just counting the days until Christmas
Stephen Graham Jones
Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing/Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven
Eat, drink and be scary!
Magic is really very simple, all you’ve got to do is want something and then let yourself have it
Aggie Cromwell, Halloweentown
I witch you a Happy Halloween
No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.
Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House
For some of us, Halloween is every day
Tim Burton
I’m a witch every day. Not just for Halloween
A mask tells us more than a face
Oscar Wilde
Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds… true love?
Dracula
May your candy supply last you well into the Christmas season
I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey
The Criminologist, Rocky Horror Picture Show
Halloween is the only time I can easily convince others that my children are monsters
There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask
Collette
The cobwebs in my house just became my decorations!
Hocus pocus. Time to focus
Have you come to sing pumpkin carols?
Linus, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Be afraid, be very afraid
Ronnie, The Fly
Magic is really very simple, all you’ve got to do is want something and then let yourself have it
Aggie Cromwell, Halloweentown
Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night
Steve Almond
During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded
The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween
Paula Guran
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…and spiders
I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else
Wednesday Addams, The Addams Family
If the broom fits, ride it!
A mask tells us more than a face
Oscar Wilde
This witch can be bribed with chocolate
It’s a full moon tonight. That’s why all the weirdos are out.
Dani, Hocus Pocus
Keep calm and scary on
I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly
Elizabeth, Friday the 13th
A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween
Emma Bombeck
Werewolves howl. Phantoms prowl. Halloween’s upon us now
Richelle E. Goodrich
Short Halloween Quotes
I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers
L. M. Montgomery
Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October days
On Halloween you get to become anything that you want to be
Ava Dellaria
Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story
Mason Cooley
Men say that in this midnight hour, the disembodied have powe
William Motherwell
When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween
Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain
J.K. Rowling
Halloween wraps fear in innocence, as though it were a slightly sour sweet. Let terror, then, be turned into a treat
Nicholas Gordon
We gladly feast on those who would subdue us
The Addams Family
The farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we’ve come to need Halloween
Paula Guran
The moon has awoken with the sleep of the sun, the light has been broken; the spell has begun
Midgard Morningstar
Wishing you a spook-tacular Halloween!
If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween
Douglas Copeland
Hope you don’t have a scare in the world this Halloween!
There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight
October brings crisp, cool nights and Halloween frights
I am all in a sea of wonders; I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul
Bram Stoker
Wishing you a spooky good October and a fang-tastic Halloween!
To live without you, only that would be torture
Gomez
A candy a day keeps the monsters away
It reeks of children!
Mary Sanderson, Hocus Pocus
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch
Robert Brault
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.
William Shakespeare
On Halloween you get to become anything that you want to be
Ava Dellaria
She used to tell me that a full moon was when mysterious things happen and wishes come true
Shannon A. Thompson
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves
Humbert Wolfe
Ghosts and goblins come to play on October’s final day
Rusty Fischer
On Halloween, witches come true; wild ghosts escape from dreams. Each monster dances in the park
Nicholas Gordon
There is something haunting in the light of the moon
Joseph Conrad
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!
Humbert Wolfe
Have you come to sing pumpkin carols?
Linus
Sticky fingers, tired feet; one last house, trick or treat
Rusty Fischer
How is Halloween Celebrated?
Halloween is celebrated in different ways across the globe. In Ireland, a Samhain parade is hosted every year. In Scotland, sausages are considered a traditional Samhain food. In America, people dress up in costumes and tell stories of witches and ghosts. Pumpkins are carved and children go around neighborhoods, for “trick-or-treat”.
It’s Pumpkin Carving Time
This tradition was inspired by the legend of Stingy Jack, who is said to have trapped the devil in a turnip, only letting him go on the condition that he would not go to hell. When this idea was brought to America by Irish migrants, they used pumpkins, instead of turnips and this is how the tradition of carving pumpkins on Halloween began.
Trick-or-Treat
It was a Halloween tradition for children to go door to door, asking for “soul cakes”, a treat similar to biscuits. And this concept evolved into the concept of “trick-or-treat”, in which families provide treats to children to avoid becoming a target of any holiday pranks. When this idea was brought to America by Irish migrants, they used pumpkins, instead of turnips and this is how the tradition began.
Halloween Myths
There are a lot of myths that trace their origin to the celebration of Halloween and one of them is “Bobbing for apples”. In the 19th century, Halloween was a matchmaking opportunity for young women. They selected apples on All Hollow’s Eve and the apples represented all of a woman’s suitors and the apple she ended up biting into would represent her future husband.
Another popular ritual was “Mirror gazing”. People stared into the mirror, hoping to catch a vision of their future selves in it. There are many other myths surrounding the tradition of Halloween, and some of them also involve fortune cookies.
Halloween Movies
The tradition of Halloween has influenced various movies over time. From the supernatural drama “Practical magic” to horror flicks like “Friday the 13th” and “The Texas Chainsaw” are spooky treats for families. Halloween is also a good time for the introduction of “Michael Myers”, a ruthless killer who seeks out his first victim at the age of six and then sets out to murder his sister. It is the very first Halloween movie that came out in 1978.
Recap
Halloween is a holiday that is quite unique and different from all other holidays. It also marks the end of summer and the start of long chilling winter nights. Although some might enjoy the chills of winter, many find it a gloomy season. Whatever your preference is, Halloween gives you a chance to welcome the new season with a new spirit.
As far as the celebrations are concerned, Halloween is the best time to show your creative skills. Dress like a superhero or a fairy, or a witch if you prefer. Absorb the spirits of Halloween and gather a lot of treats, you can always enjoy them with a chilling Halloween movie. So light your jack-o-lantern, grab a cozy blanket and enjoy your treats with a scary Halloween movie.
Also Read: 70+ Wicked And Spooky Halloween Quotes
