Halloween isn’t an evil American import — just ask the medieval monks and nuns who marketed it Michael Carter
FOr centuries ago, the supernatural, and Halloween in particular, was contested territory. Folklorists have interpreted Halloween as a remnant of pre-Christian Celtic beliefs, when the beginning of the seasons was thought to weaken the membrane separating the living from the dead. Some Christian evangelicals, especially in the United States, view it as an evil and sinful celebration of witchcraft. There’s also the perpetual complaint that it’s nothing more than a swashbuckling, modern American import.
None of these claims are entirely true. There may have been an ancient festival at this time of year, but the evidence dates back centuries and does not support assertions that any celebrations had a supernatural dimension. Evangelicals’ fear reveals more about their brand of Christianity than why Halloween is associated with horror.
I am a curator at the English Heritage Museum, and from the tales of the rotting returnee who rose from his grave in Byland Abbey to Imaginary drummer boy At Richmond Castle, almost every one of our locations has a story that will make your hair stand on end.
As for Americanization, most of the familiar Halloween rituals began on this side of the Atlantic: carving jack-o-lanterns (traditionally from turnips); “camouflage” or dress up; Harm or misjudgment. and going door to door asking for sweets – a form of “sanctioned” begging that helps strengthen community ties. Small oat-based “soulcakes” that are sometimes served in return are first recorded in the 1500s, showing that Halloween had long been converted to Christianity, and appear on All Saints’ Day on October 31, or to use its official name, the All Saints’ Day Vigil.
All Saints’ Day itself, celebrated on November 1 since the 8th century, honors saints known and unknown, including souls believed to have attained heavenly bliss. But only the most virtuous went directly there. Purgatory awaited most Christians, where their souls would undergo punishment to cleanse their sins. Souls sent to purgatory would eventually ascend to heaven, but the sufferings endured in the meantime were thought to be just as hideous as those endured by wicked people condemned to hell for eternity.
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In the 11th century, monks came to their rescue. They introduced All Souls’ Day on November 2 – a day for the living to pray and do good deeds for those who endure purgatory. Alms and soul cakes were given in exchange for prayers, and masses were sung to hasten souls toward heaven.
Ghost stories quickly spread, telling of troubled souls returning from purgatory to beg the living for help. It is no coincidence that most of these supernatural tales were recorded by monks and nuns, as the stories always emphasize the effectiveness of monastic prayer for the salvation of suffering souls.
The Reformation abolished monasteries, and purgatory was rejected as unbiblical. For many Protestants, Catholicism itself has become clearly demonic. Over the centuries, ghost stories have constantly changed as well, with each iteration of these stories.Satisfying horror“It reflects the spirits and morals of their time.
Although we may now feel far removed from medieval Christian Halloween, the festival still speaks to something profound and human. It reminds us that death comes to us all. It is preparation for what comes next, whether that be the underworld or a place in the hearts of those we have left behind. Before we die well, let’s live well first. This includes a happy and haunting Halloween.