HALLOWEEN

1
HALLOWEEN
2
Main Points

• Ancient Origins
• Evolution of a Holiday
• Annual Athens Celebration

3
The Celts

• Lived in the area that is now Ireland, the United
  Kingdom, and Northern France.
  
• On October 31 celebrated the festival of
  Samhain.
  
• Believed that Samhin called together the souls of
  all the dead people.
  
• Held bonfires to make sacrifices to their gods.

The History Channel (2000). Halloween History.
World Wide Web page. Available
http//www.thehistorychannel.com (15 February
2001).
4
Romans

• Feralia a day in late October in which the
  Romans remembered their dead.
  
• Pomona Roman god of their fruits and gardens.
• Probably explains the tradition of bobbing for
  apples on Halloween.

Patterson, L. (1963). Halloween. Champaign, IL
Garrard Publishing Co.
5
Catholic Church

• Pope Boniface IV made November 1 All Saints Day
  in 835.
  
• In 1000 the church declared that November 2 would
  be All Souls Day.
  
• These holidays along with the festival of Samhain
  were also referred to as All-hallowmas and
  eventually Halloween.

The History Channel (2000). Halloween History.
World Wide Web page. Available
http//www.thehistorychannel.com (15 February
2001).
6
Jack-O-Lantern

• The Celts carried lights with them if they went
  out on October 31.
  
• They believed the light protected them from evil
  spirits.
  
• Children soon began to carve faces in the
  turnips.
  
• When the Irish came to America they began to use
  pumpkins.

Patterson, L. (1963). Halloween. Champaign, IL
Garrard Publishing Co.
7
Masks

• People were afraid they would encounter ghosts if
  they left their house on Halloween.
  
• To prevent themselves from being recognized they
  would wear masks outside.
  
• They hoped that the ghosts would mistake them for
  other ghosts.

The History Channel (2000). Halloween History.
World Wide Web page. Available
http//www.thehistorychannel.com (15 February
2001).
8
Trick-Or-Treating

• During All Souls Day Parades the poor of England
  would beg for food.
  
• People would give them pastries called soul cakes
  in return for prayers for dead relatives.
  
• This practice was referred to as going-a-souling
  and was eventually picked up by children who got
  treats from neighbors.

The History Channel (2000). Halloween History.
World Wide Web page. Available
http//www.thehistorychannel.com (15 February
2001).
9
Athens

• On October 29, 1940 The Athens Kiwanis Club and
  the Junior Chamber of Commerce sponsored a
  Halloween party on Court Street.
  
• In 1974 500 students blocked traffic for two
  hours on Court Street.

Ohio Universitys School of Visual Communication.
(1996). The History of the Party.
World Wide Web page. Availablehttp//www.viscom
.ohiou.edu/halloween/ welcome.html (15 February
2001).
10
Athens

• In 1977 the Athens City Council and Ohio
  University sponsored the party. A stage was
  constructed on Court Street and Bob Hope
  entertained at the Convocation Center.
• In 1979 both the University and city council
  refused to sponsor the party because of the large
  crowds. An illegal Court Street part was held
  anyways.

Ohio Universitys School of Visual Communication.
(1996). The History of the Party.
World Wide Web page. Availablehttp//www.viscom
.ohiou.edu/halloween/ welcome.html (15 February
2001).
11
Athens

• In 1984 the Athens Clean and Safe Halloween
  Committee was created by 20 local businesses. The
  party was held in the Intramural parking lot on
  Court Street.
• Court Street has since been blocked of with a
  stage being erected at Court and Union.

Ohio Universitys School of Visual Communication.
(1996). The History of the Party.
World Wide Web page. Availablehttp//www.viscom
.ohiou.edu/halloween/ welcome.html (15 February
2001).
12
Athens

• The party grew too as large as 50,000 in 1993.
  With partygoers coming from all around the
  Midwest.

13
Athens

• Since than the University has tried numerous
  times to have the party stopped because of the
  amount of arrests and damage done to campus.

14
Halloween Is Fun