The History of Halloween
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- This video discusses the long history of Halloween. From the Celtic practice of Samhain, to medieval Catholic observance of All Saint's Day, to Victorian Gothic, and finally the modern practice of trick-or-treat.
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Further reading:
"Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween": amzn.to/3RJjme7
My books (affiliate links):
"How We Got Our Bible" (Zondervan, 2018): amzn.to/2MtmSYY
"Story of Creeds and Confessions" (Baker Academic, 2019): amzn.to/3OVDyGQ
#halloween #samhain
I bet Ryan digs Jethro Tull
😂
Do you think he'd enjoy Samhain?
Do you think he'd enjoy Samhain?
Dr. Reeves’ choice of topics is refreshingly unpredictable, what a joy to have him back
Songs from the Wood, eh?
It's great seeing Ryan back and posting videos, great scholar, and historian.
Yeah, I was like, "New content?!"
halloween is in oct 31st
i know evryone clelebrates halloween
yeah, i was like "omg!!"
I love thinking about the Robert Burns 1786 poem “Halloween” when thinking about the history of Halloween. The poem is a series a vignettes about young people telling stories, sneaking around, playing pranks, getting into trouble, and scaring themselves. It’s really interesting how similar 18th century rural Scottish Halloween was to our modern ideas of the holiday. Obviously many thing have changed since then, I don’t think the poem mentions any costumes, but it’s clear that the core idea of the holiday is already there. Ghost stories, food, and young people being let loose seem to be a Halloween staple going back centuries, at least in some parts of the world.
Thank you Dr. Reeves. Concise and very informative. I do not "do" Halloween, but as a pastor in a local church I get lot's of questions about its origin every year. This one goes goes into my "Hallloween Folder"! Bless you my friend.
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Im tradition Roman Catholic and I do Halloween without the gore
Just curious, by "tradition", do you mean pre-Vac II?@@gracewhite1601
It's refreshing to see a pastor online getting as much information as they can to be prepared for the questions you know are coming every year makes me believe you a pretty good pastor anyways happy Halloween God bless
@@faulknersealock5575 right!!
Ryan, it's sooooo great to have you back! You were one of the content producers that got me into CZcams, and I still go back and relisten to your old content, but having new content to look forward to is like "Christmas" every day.
I'm looking forward to Professor Reeves' video class on The History of Christmas, now that you mention it.
Let's get him started on Valentine's Day, that sounds like a great video.
Lupercalia
It was cool to see my 12th-great grandfather, William Brewster, illustrated at least twice in this video. He's shown, in prayer, with other Mayflower pilgrims. He'd have been beside himself, seeing the future goings-on during the evening of October 31st. Even Christmas festivities would have stirred him up.
So glad your back, definitely one of the most underated channels on youtube 😀
Welcome back sir! I'm one of the lucky folks who got to binge all of your church history lectures during the lockdowns and am very glad to see more new videos from you. Just wanted to thank you for all you do, I have learned so much from you!
Don’t go away again. The new content is great!
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This is one of those channels that went dead but I saved my subscription anyway, thinking I might want to rewatch it all in the future... I'm glad I saved it, because I would've forgotten about it otherwise. The new videos are different, but I am enjoying them so far.
Thank you Dr. Reeves; you make informative and entertaining videos. You are protestant, but you are fair, and you never try to make the Roman Church (nor the Orthodox/Oriental Churches) look foolish in order to bolster the protestant sect with which you identify...
I consider this channel to be a good companion to the channel "Gospel Simplicity", also run by a protestant man who is not a crazy person.
So glad you are back with these lectures. I love them.
Found your channel a few months ago when I was leaving a oneness Pentecostal church and your history on the early church helped me a ton to leave the modalist heresy, thank you!
Thank you Jesus !!! Praise God
@@ChristsDisciples praise God!
Praise be to God, you were able to escape modalism!
praise be to god!
I am a Unlicensed Non-Certified historian (that sounds classier than a history nut). One thing I have learned is history is A LOT more complicated than a lot of people Get. This s a Classic example.
You sound like my dad.
Do you also give an “Application To Date My Daughter” form to visiting boys?
Does it also ask “Do you own a van?”
😂
I heart nerds.
Do you have any interesting topics you'd recommend?
@@v0idlikehonestly if you’re interested in the history of random things, just pick one and start looking stuff up. I just did a short presentation on the history of cheesecake just because it seemed interesting. Good luck!
Years ago, i learned from The Simpsons that Halloween is “a yearly custom” that eventually became “an annual tradition.” I think that is quite insightful.
🤣 Ahh we have learned so much from the simpsons
So does that mean before it was a yearly custom, it was a ritual done once every orbit?
I've watched a LOT of videos on the "history of Halloween" and I must say, THIS is one of my favorites. It's more in depth, without all the fluff. Straight to the point AND at the same time giving us the history that other narrators don't! I'm sooo glad that YOU are narrating your channel and NOT some AI, because of THAT, you got a NEW SUBSCRIBER!!! YAY!!!
I'm so grateful for your videos and I'm glad you are making them again.
So thrilled you're back! Definitely my favorite CZcams history Channel! God bless!
In Scotland going from house to house for treats is called guising. And traditionally we had carved lanterns made from turnips (neeps) it has become very Americanised in modern times to the point that pumpkins have replaced turnips and kids call it trick or treating now rather than guising. But the practice must have its roots in Irish and Scottish tradition to have been practiced in parallel in America.
The carving of turnips in Scotland and Ireland led directly to the carving of pumpkins in the USA. Pumpkins were much more readily available here.
@@steadysmv and a hell of a lot easier to carve 😆 partly why they have been replaced in Scotland, that and the Americanisation of the festival. I do get annoyed that kids don't call it guising anymore, the diminishing of the scots language continues.
@@Waterhouse1666 And it is much easier to put a candle inside a pumpkin.
Yeah when the Irish first went to the states they took Halloween with them now it’s huge in the states
I'm surprised he didn't mention the story of Jack o 'lantern supposedly an Irish men that got himself into some trouble.
Oh dude I'm so glad you're back!! Your history of the church videos are incredible!! Welcome back :)
That was definitely the most rational and thorough treatment of the topic of Halloween's history that I've encountered. Nice work, Ryan! God bless!
Great to see new videos from you, thanks for this one.
looks like from the comments this is first video in a while. Let me join in and say Yes! I am very happy to see him post a new video also! I learned so much from watching some of his videos on LoTR and also real life church history topics from a few years back! And now this video came up “randomly” on my feed and I thought, ohhhh yay! I have not watched this guy in a while. So yes! I am very glad, I very much enjoy his calm, measured, succinct, and yet, captivating speaking and presentation style! Bravo!
Love you brother, so glad you're posting on youtube again!
Thank you so much, Dr. Reeves for restarting your wonderful films. The quality of work is excellent.
Another well balanced and well done video sir! Thank you from a Catholic fan of your channel.
Great to have you back, Dr Reeves.
So glad you are back. I stated subbed to your channel (like others) for so long hoping I'd get that random notification one day you were making videos again. Thank you again.
Excellent! I am a youth pastor sometimes asked by parents what they should do around halloween. Having this is a resource is very helpful, thank you!
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I suggest omitting the blood sacrifice part
I'm glad you're back making content.
Glad to see a new video from you, Ryan.
Good round-up. I’d suggest anything longer include a review of the works of Charles Coloumbe on the subject, who has a parallel take but from a distinctly more Catholic emphasis. Things I think should have been included: 1) the Catholic Calendar is driven by “Evening Came, and Morning came, the first day…” and therefore All Saints Day begins in the Evensong and Compline of October 31st. 2) The liturgical colors for All Saints Day is white, signifying the Saints are in the Church Triumphant. 3) the liturgical colors for All Souls Day, November 2nd, are Black (for Masses for the dead), a particular shade of dark emerald green, and orange. But where does the orange as a ‘Hallowtide’ color come from? No, not pumpkins and squashes. Rather, from the fact that Masses for the Dead use *unbleached* beeswax candles, which have the natural orange coloration in them from pollen. The unbleached candles are distinctly not white, because it is a Mass for the dead in Purgatory, the Church Expectant, unshriven souls on their way to bleached perfection (white) paying the temporal price for their sins (their eternal price, damnation, has been paid by baptism, confession and absolution, unction, etc…..all Sacraments pointing to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and instituted by His example and pronounced good). So the ‘Holloween’ color of Hallowtide of that particular hue of orange is not from Pumpkins (unknown to catholic Europe) but from unbleached candles used in Masses for the dead. A further note: All Saints Day is a Feast of Holy Obligation, but All Souls’ Day is not. The Church Militant (us) do have the duty to pray for the souls in purgatory, as they can pray for us, but cannot pray for themselves (the example of Lazarus on Abraham’s company, and the Rich man’s ineffective prayer).
I always thought the Rich man was in Hell rather than purgatory, assuming I’m thinking of the right parable
@@samurguy9906 that is a good point, and I confess, I do not know what the Church teaches on this parable, so forgive my imprecision. I do note, however, the Rich Man has an attitude of *hope* in his unheard prayer…and in Hell there is no hope. In addition, the Rich Man has concern, compassion, fear, for those still alive, and begs for testimony from death to alert them to his torments. In Hell, again, you would have no hope, and your eternal torture would be your infinite self-consciousness all bound in self that you are now restricted from saving anyone else. However, there are pious stories of shades from Hell warning the living of the stain of mortal sin. So I gotta say…I dunno, and maybe someone smarter and better than me at apologetics can tease this one out or point to some glaringly obvious teaching from a Church Doctor that will make me even more apologetic and slap my head ‘D’ho!’
@@samurguy9906Protestant vs Catholic belief.
I'm not sure if Catholics believe anyone goes to hell until the Final Judgment. I'm not Catholic and don't believe in purgatory.
@@timothynorton6137Catholics do believe that the danmed before the Second Coming will have their souls experiencing damnation, and their souls and bodies will be punished after the Second Coming. The Catholic Church doesn’t have a teaching on how to interpret the Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus, but I think the standard Catholic reading is that these are the two kinds of places people ended up in Hades/Sheol before the Resurrection. Either Paradise/Abraham’s Bosom/Limbo of the Patriarchs for those who died in friendship with Christ, or the eternal hell of the damned. I think the standard interpretation is the rich man is damned in the parable.
@samurguy9906 I think you are right that the rich man was implied to be in hell.
Glad you’re uploading again
I'm glad that you're back on You Tube. I've learned a lot from your videos and I look forward to new ones.
Thanks Ryan, this is a greatly appreciated video, your explanation of folk history and how it is different from tracing an idea to its origins is helpful.
Ryan, its so good to see you posting videos again.
Thank you for making this video. I watched this with my entire family including my 73 year old mother, 58 year old aunt, and my 4 year old. We really enjoyed it
Thank you so much for returning these videos have sparked such an interest in me to learn about the history of the church
Thank you so much for your work!
The explanation of folk history as a sort of disclaimer was so good. I subbed because of that alone! Awesome, awesome video. Thank you!
So glad you’re back!! Looking forward to listening!
Excited that you started posting again. Cheers Ryan.
Thank you for coming back ❤
Awesome i've been waiting for you to do this thank you
He’s back! My favorite historian
Halloween was my favorite holiday to decorate for when we lived in the Metroplex. Now we are out in BFN and no one would see it. I am currently making a Mermaid costume for my two year old granddaughter. Loved this video. Loved also that you brought in all the correct ingredients to make the true cake that is Halloween.
Jim, I love you! ♥️
Keep up the good work man!
So glad you’re back, brother
I'm putting together a Halloween themed D&D session for my friends and this video was exactly what I was looking for as a springboard. Thanks!
May all your rolls be nat 20
So glad you're back. Looking forward to Holliday celebrations with you.
Thank you, love your videos and teaching style
This was absolutely great! Well researched and amazing perspective on history!
So glad this dude is back!
I am so glad you’re back, Dr. Reeves
Bro! I’m glad you’re back!
Good to see another video from you!
This is very helpful :) Thanks for clearing things up
Glad this man is back making CZcams videos.
Thank you, Ryan! You bring knowledge and understanding to this crazy world. And you do it with a WIT of a perfect professor!
Welcome back! You should make more of the 'Century history' videos or something similar. Loved those!!
Glad to see you posting again. I hope you will do a video on christmas as well. Don't be hesitant to include as much information as possible, I think it will be appreciated.
Started supporting the Patreon at a small amount, but will up the amount in the future when I can. Great work. Blessings.
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I loved watching this. Thank you!
I have been studying Halloween as of late. As such, I've been trying to understand both the big picture of Halloween, as well as all the little ingredients that you mentioned. I have some criticisms, but I want to start with my compliments. In terms of your presentation, I think focusing on the big picture is wise and needed. I have often described Halloween as a dragnet of Fall traditions from northern Britania rather than a real holiday. I agree that Samhain has had minimal impact on the modern holiday and that the vast majority of what we associate with the day has more to do with modern America than anything ancient. The skeleton of your presentation is exactly right, and this video is a needed and welcomed corrective for pop-folk history.
That said, I have some critiques. For reference, much of my research has been in the collective works of Lisa Morton and "The Stations of the Sun" by Ronald Hutton, though there are other works that I have read. I noticed one of Morton's books is in your description, so it seems there is some cross over in our research. I also mention here that my critiques are based on big picture analysis, not on simply "Hey, I think you should have included this!"
First: the English Reformation. This is the only thing you left out that I think you should have included simply because it was a critical juncture in the development of Halloween. You vaguely mention that the English rejected it (though the English were the only Protestants who did for political reasons), and that's good. However, I think a sentence mentioning that the association of witches and the devil with All Hallow's Eve was from anti-Catholic propaganda from the courts of Henry and Elizabeth. It did not proceed it, and was emphasized at the time. I find this to be a critical point deserving a mention.
Second: The date. I disagree with Morton and some others that we can attach Samhain to the date October the 31st. Yes, Samhain was practiced in that time period, but the Celts did not use the Roman calendar. Because it was a harvest festival (and the comparison to Brave was brilliant BTW), it was simply around that time. Indeed, the affixation of All Saints Day to compete with Samhain is dubious, and comes from a Sir John Rys ("Stations of the Sun", pp 364). In reality, All Saints Day was already being practiced on Nov the 1st in England and much of the German states; it simply wasn't in Ireland (April 20th, if you're curious). Pope Gregory merely made it the same day for all of the church. Again, I only bring this up because it is a major component to the presentation that you gave, and I think it is part of the big picture.
All in all though, I appreciate this video, and I am glad that you made it. I hope that these myths regarding Halloween will diminish. God bless.
I appreciate this criticism. Thank you for adding to the discussion. My research has been limited to certain Catholic Internet articles from reputable publishers, so I didn't pay attention to their sources. But the points you bring up were included in those articles. And I agree with you that, overall, as a big picture rundown, Reeves did a pretty good job of correcting the myth and legend.
songs from the wood eh?
Modern Halloween is still the same as Samhain in its customs. The US had little influence in it
@@MW_Asura them why isn't it practiced in Tara like Samhain was? Where are the clans meeting together? And where is the evidence of going door to door trick-or-treating in the 5th century?
Another great video! Thank you
Currently at work - decided to LIKE this post so that I can come back and watch it later. Super excited
whoa. new video from ryan. Praise God this channel is still going. so awesome.
Great video! Having spent much time studying the history of masking traditions in the West, (mummers, Commedia dell'arte, etc) I never fully dove into the huge subject of Halloween to any great extent. Thank you!
I'm so glad this man returned.
One of the best videos ever made that describes the origin of Halloween and how it morphed into the fun costume and candyfest I enjoyed as a kid (and to a small extent still do now 😇). It really does come across like putting together ingredients to bake a cake.
Ryan I’m glad you are back!
This may become the best/authoritative History of Halloween video on YT -- excellent
I missed you Ryan, great content!
Man I missed hearing that outro music. Such a Pavlovian dopamine hit. Glad to have you back!
Interesting and fun during the Halloween season! Thank you!
Excellent Job Rya!.. I dabble in research in History and I must say you are correct!, I am looking forward to Your presentation on Thanks giving, Christmas and Easter!. Ryan you are a true Scholar. Thank You for the education!
That was refreshing. Thank you.
Yay, Ryan is back.
I've always been interested in the history of Halloween 🎃 this hit the spot thank you 👿
Thank you for coming back Ryan. I appreciate you for all this free videos lectures that I've been listening for awhile. I would love to see these wonderful videos on podcast. If that is something you consider doing, that will be great. God bless you for all your efforts and may He increase wisdom and knowledge to you. 🙏🏼🩷
Hey Ryan, good points brother. Good to see you back 👍
Ryan Reeves is once again posting videos regularly, this is such a great time to be alive.
Thanks for this very clear summary of how Americanized the celebration of Halloween is!
The legend has returned
I would love to hear about the other holidays as we get nearer to them!!
The best explanation I have ever heard, I have a MA in Theology and Folklore! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this video.
1st time viewer. Really enjoyed your video. Look forward to more content🤘
Planning a big Halloween party here in Brazil for next week. The first one I gave was in 1985. PS ....American citizen married to a Brazilian. Nowadays, all the language schools in town have Halloween parties and many schools also have started to celebrate.
I used to " import my Halloween decorations " now I have a choice of half a dozen stores to buy from locally.
For me, Halloween is the absolute most wonderful [month] holiday. I call it Halloweentober and we watch Halloween-centric movies, TV and read books. We decorate, mostly inside. Im still Catholic but this holiday is a holiday of atmospheric snd mood for me. The jack-o'-lanterns and fallen leaves, the horror icons and the chill in the air. It's the time i feel completely happy. It's very much like an autumnal Christmas for me in spirit. And I'm depressed now that it's temporarily over.
i clicked on this video expecting a dark tale but i had a great time. thank you for this
great work sir. your excellent content has earned you a sub 🎃
Fantastic video!
Worth noting that their was a predecessor to pumpkin lanterns in swedes, a type of turnip. The faces carved into them look much more horrifying than the pumpkin ones, imo.
Well presented history lecture. We thank you Sir.
thanks for this down to earth history lesson. bad ass.
OMG you’re back!!!!
Thank you, Professor!
Here's to hoping the videos you incidentally mentioned, on The Hustory of Christmas, and on The History of Valentine's Day, materialize. God bless you.
Good information. Thank you!!!
Operas related in concept to Halloween include Mozart's Magic Flute, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Verdi's Aida, Wagner's Flying Dutchman and The Ring Cycle, Puccini's Turandot, Strauss' Salome & Elektra. Ballets related to Halloween include Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake & Stravinsky's The Firebird.