Halloween
This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark,
cold winter—a time of year that was often associated with human death. The Celts believed
that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of living and the dead
became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed
that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In 19th century Brittany, libations of milk were
poured on the graves of kinfolk, or food would be left overnight on the dinner table for the
returning souls; a custom also found in Tyrol and parts of Italy. In Salerno, until the 15th
century, families left a meal out for the ghosts of relatives before leaving for church services. In
19th century Bavaria, food was laid on graves to feed the souls of the dead. Because of its
association with all things dark, spooky, and undead, Halloween became the go-to holiday for
the
release
of
most
horror
films
and
television
shows.
Director
John
Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) is probably the best example, as it changed the public image of
the holiday from a night for children to dress up in silly costumes to a night of pure terror.