With the leaves starting to fall, and the air is getting colder in the afternoons, some are sorry to see summer disappear. Still, others are excited for the cool air, foggy mornings, crunchy leaves, the return of pumpkin spice, and the coming arrival of Halloween.
Halloween, or Samhain, has changed a lot over the centuries. Originally the holiday was celebrated by the Celts to honor the end of harvest season and the start of a new year. It was considered a pagan festival (a festival not related to Christianity) until the eighth century, when the pope at the time designated Nov. 1 as a day to honor saints.
Known as All Saints Day, this event began incorporating some of the old Samhain traditions. Traditions such as dancing, feasting, and creating altars for their ancestors. Eventually, the “eve,” or day before All Saints Day, became the day people started celebrating Samhain, and the holiday was renamed All Hallows Eve, which then evolved into “Halloween.”
Not only has the name of Halloween been changed, but also the traditions that go along with it. For example, the practice of trick-or-treating has only been around since the 1920s. It started as a light celebration that mostly consisted of partying. People would spend the night dancing, and playing fun games like bobbing for apples. Of course, over the last century, the types of costumes people tend to wear for Halloween have changed drastically. People used to dress up more like typical monsters such as vampires, witches, and mummies.
But Halloween costumes can trace their roots even further back. What is now just considered “dressing up” used to be considered a means of protection. The Celtic people believed that ghosts wandered around on Samhain night, so they would wear costumes to blend in with the spirits.
Speaking of costumes, with Halloween getting closer, many people are already thinking about their costumes. Halloween costume stores like the one in the former Bed, Bath & Beyond building in Charlottesville’s Barrack’s Road Shopping Center, now open their doors in August, allowing people to begin shopping for costumes and decorations early in the season.
What are the costumes trending this year? Plenty of people are going as characters from big movie hits like Barbie, Scream 6, and Oppenheimer.
In addition to purchasing costumes locally at pop-up “spirit” stores, like the one at Barrack’s Road, many local residents take advantage of the variety and low prices offered on sites like Amazon and Shein. For another way to save money on outfits, try making your own (you can find tips for making 114 easy Halloween costumes at Good Housekeeping), or scour thrift stores to find cheap, gently-worn outfits, and create your own unique costumes for half the price.
For those who really want to get into Halloween, the ultimate experience may be to visit a haunted house. While Fluvanna has no official haunted houses, there are a few options for those willing to drive a couple of hours. There are some places here in Virginia that are throwing together their own fun halloween themed celebrations. One of these places is Kings Dominion, located in Doswell, Virginia, about 1.5 hours from Fluvanna. Their event is called Halloween Haunt and takes place Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays Sept. 22 – Oct. 29.
Another amusement park that’s hosting their own Halloween fun is Busch Gardens, which is located in Williamsburg. This Halloween they’re bringing back Howl-O-Scream Sept. 8 – Oct. 31.
For more details on these haunted houses, as well as other ideas of how you can celebrate the Halloween season, see Beck Martin’s Fall Fun Guide.
