As it is not common for Filipinos, one of the few holidays we seldom celebrate with a family dinner is Halloween. But there are many dietary customs associated with Halloween. Children bobbing for apples, pumpkins are carved, and lots and lots of candy are consumed. In reality, Halloween candy consumption has long surpassed that of Christmas and Valentine's Day. Billions has increase in candy sales for Halloween. That much sugar is a lot!
The Celtic festival of Samhain, the Roman festival of Pomona, and All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day all have strong historical ties to Halloween. Samhain, sometimes known as "summer's end," was an ancient Celtic holiday that heralded the end of the growing season and the harvest as well as the onset of the cold, long winter days. Hunting and herding were the main sources of sustenance for the Celts who lived in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England, Brittany, and Northern France. The healthiest animals in the herds were transferred to a winter shelter as soon as summer ended, while the others were roasted and eaten as food. The Celts thought that during Samhain, ancestors' spirits may freely travel among the living. The spirits were believed to have the ability to predict the future and warn the living of impending disaster. In an effort to connect with their deceased relatives, villagers presented food and wine offerings to their ancestors. The living would dress in "ghoulish disguises" so that they may be mistaken for spirits themselves in order to ward off any unwanted ghost visitation. The dressed-up villagers would then organize a parade in an effort to drive the unwelcome spirits away.
Pomona is another harvest celebration that dates back to the early Roman era. Pomona was the Roman deity of the harvest and fruit trees. The Romans honored Diana on November 1 by presenting her with gifts of almonds, apples, and other orchard fruits. Apples were regarded as a representation of fertility and love. Samhain and the Pomona festivities coincided following the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD as a result of their proximity to one other. Samhain and Pomona were combined into one event when Romans and Celts intermarried throughout the ensuing centuries.
In 835 AD, the Roman Catholic Church declared November 1 a holy holiday to honor the saints. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the earlier harvest festivals evolved into a Christian celebration known as the "feasts of All Saints and All Souls." Villagers created "soul cakes" instead of giving wine and food to the ghosts of ancestors. These spiced biscuit-like cakes were given to the impoverished, who then prayed for the departed. Later, as the custom spread, young men would go door to door singing songs in exchange for cash, food, or beer. Instead of scaring away evil spirits, the tradition of dressing up persisted as a way to honor the saints. Relics of saints were on display in the lavisher cathedrals.
Our Halloween custom of handing out candy is closely related to the All Saints Day custom of giving ale, food, and cash to young men who went door to door performing "souly" songs. For the holiday at the time, people dressed as saints. The Samhain custom of assuming macabre disguises to fend off visits from undesirable spirits is the source of the American tradition of dressing in flashy, vibrant, or spooky costumes. The purpose of Halloween and trick-or-treating in the 1950s, following World War II, was to promote youth and local unity. In addition to devil's food cupcakes with frosting in the Halloween colors of orange and black—orange signifying pumpkins and the autumn harvest and black signifying death and night—pumpkin and witch biscuits prepared with cookie cutters were also very popular.
Halloween in America has changed over time from being a holiday just for kids to becoming a holiday for everyone. Kids and adults alike love Halloween costumes, sweets, and treats in the current era, but few people are giving the historical roots of these popular traditions much thought.
ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND
Reference
https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/halloween-a-foodie-history/
