What is the history of Halloween?

0:00 Welcome to Histories Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Before we start, a huge happy 8th birthday to Ava in Goa, India. And happy birthday to Charlie with a big hello to Beckett in Georgia. And a massive hello to Josh in Melbourne. Max in Vancouver. Alice in Dublin. Harvey and Shepherd in Texas.

0:26 Maggie and Iris. And brothers Jonah, Finley and Logan, who listen together in the car every day. With Halloween just around the corner, I bet you were all getting your costumes ready. We're dedicating this spooky special to all of you to find out where Trick or Treating actually came from. If you haven't already, tap follow wherever you're listening so you never miss an episode.

0:51 Okay Finn. Did you know that the very first jack-o' lanterns weren't made out of pumpkins at all, but were actually carved out of creepy, wrinkly turnips. Turnips? That sounds like a terrible snack and a really weird decoration. Why would they do that? You'll find out! Today we are travelling back over 2,000 years to discover how a sacred ancient bonfire festival transformed into the giant, candy-filled holiday we celebrate today.

1:23 Close your eyes and imagine this. It's over 2,000 years ago. You are standing in the freezing cold mist of ancient Ireland. Brrr! What are we doing out here? We are visiting the Celts! The Celtic people lived across Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. And for them, November 1st wasn't just a regular Tuesday.

1:47 It was New Year's Day. Wait, their New Year started in November. Why? Because it marked the end of the bright sunny harvest season and the beginning of the dark, freezing winter. They called this festival Sawin, spelled S-A-M-H-A-I-N, but pronounced Sawin. Sawin, got it! So what did they do to celebrate?

2:11 Did they have fireworks? No fireworks, but they did build massive roaring bonfires. The Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, October 31st, the invisible boundary between the living world and the spirit world became super thin. You mean they thought ghosts could just wander over into their towns?

2:33 Exactly. And because winters back then were brutal, no electricity, no central heating, just shivering in the dark. People wanted all the help they could get. They lit massive sacred fires to offer warmth and protection. Okay, so they built big fires to stay safe. But how does that turn into dressing up as a zombie or a superhero?

2:56 Well, if you believed spirits were walking around your village, you wouldn't want them to recognise you, right? Oh, so they wore disguises so the ghosts would think they were just other ghosts. Yes, but they didn't have store-bought costumes. They would wear masks and thick cloaks made out of animal skins.

3:15 Imagine stepping outside your hut and seeing your neighbour dressed entirely in heavy fur to hide from spirits. That is incredibly clever, but also super weird. What happened next? How did Soin become Halloween? It took hundreds of years. First, the Roman Empire conquered most of the Celtic lands. Over 400 years of ruling, they blended their own autumn festivals with Sawin.

3:42 And when did the name change? That happened in the 8th century, thanks to Pope Gregory III. He decided to make November 1st a day to honour all saints and martyrs. He called it All Saints Day, which was also known as All Hallows Day. Wait, if November 1st is All Hallows Day, then the night before October 31st would be All Hallows Eve, which eventually got mashed together over time to become the word Halloween.

4:12 Okay, so we've got the name Halloween, we've got costumes, and we've got October 31st. But what about the best part? The trick or treating? That started in the Middle Ages. By around the year 1000, November 2nd was named All Souls Day. Poor citizens would go door to door to wealthier families' houses.

4:32 Did they ask for candy? Nope, they asked for food. In return, they promised to pray for the family's relatives. People gave them pastries called soul cakes. They were sweet, round biscuits baked with cinnamon, and a little cross of raisins on top. This was called souling. So kids were going door to door for cookies a thousand years ago.

4:55 That's awesome! Yes! And in Scotland and Ireland, they did something called guising. Kids would dress up in costumes, their disguises, and perform a trick, like singing a song or reciting a poem to earn their treat. Oh wait! Trick or treat! You do a trick, you get a treat. You got it! But it took a while to reach America.

5:20 In the 1840s, a terrible disaster called the Potato Famine hit Ireland crops failed, and it was a very difficult time. That's really sad. What did they do? Over one million brave Irish immigrants packed up everything they owned and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to America. And when they arrived, they brought their amazing Halloween traditions with them.

5:44 Wait, you mentioned at the start they used to carve turnips. Why did they switch to pumpkins? In Ireland, they carved scary faces into tough, wrinkly turnips to create lanterns, based on an old myth about a man named Stingy Jack. But when the Irish immigrants got to America, they discovered pumpkins.

6:06 And pumpkins are huge and orange and way easier to scoop out. Exactly! Pumpkins are native to North America. The heaviest pumpkin ever recorded weighed over 2,700 pounds. That's heavier than a small car. So, pumpkins became the ultimate jack-o'-lantern. A car-sized pumpkin? Okay, but when did trick or treating become a massive party?

6:33 By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween in America had become a time for lots of pranks. Sometimes too many pranks. To keep kids out of trouble, cities and towns organise trick or treating. Basically saying, here, have some candy, please don't egg my house. Pretty much. And today, Halloween is a multi-billion dollar festival.

6:57 In fact, Americans spend over $3 billion on Halloween candy every year. That's about £600 million of chocolate and sweets. That's equal to the weight of six Titanic cruise ships made entirely of candy. I need to upgrade my trickle treat bucket. Alright, Finn, time for the quiz. Are you ready? Okay, I'm ready.

7:23 Bring on the spooky trivia. Okay, first question. What was the ancient Celtic festival that started Halloween called? Next one, this is tricky. What vegetable did the Irish originally carve before they discovered pumpkins? Question three. Which Pope moved All Saints Day to November 1st in the 8th century?

7:57 Alright, here's number four. What were the sweet biscuits called that poor citizens received in the Middle Ages? Last question. In the eighteen forties, immigrants from which country brought their Halloween traditions to America? Great job, let's go through the answers. The answer to question one is it was called Sowin, pronounced sauwin.

8:29 For question two, they originally carved turnips. Number three, the answer is it was Pope Gregory III. Question four, they were called soul cakes. And the final answer is the Irish immigrants. Wow, I can't believe Halloween started two thousand years ago with people trying to scare away ghosts using bonfires and animal skins.

8:56 I know, right? And I'm just very glad we carve pumpkins now, instead of rock hard turnips. Same here. Hey, if you love carving pumpkins, or if you just love this podcast, please leave us a five-star review. Just scroll down and tap the stars. Yes, and don't forget to tap follow so you catch every episode.

9:18 Oh, and we have sister shows too. Science and philosophy's not boring, and maths is not boring. Go give those a listen and a follow as well. And if you want a shout out on the show, like Ava, Charlie, and Jonah's family, or just want to say hi, email us at hello at kidopoly.com. Have a fantastic, spooky time out there.

9:41 See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye!