October ushers in two national
celebrations: Columbus Day and Halloween.
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is celebrated on October 12th to commemorate the landing of Christopher Columbus in the "New World" in 1492. The holiday became official in 1937 as a way of celebrating the achievement of Italian-Americans and Columbus; however, Columbus has had a controversial legacy.
According to www.history.com, it was in 1792 that the first Columbus Day celebration occurred in New York to honor the 300th anniversary of his discovery. The website writes,"taking pride in Columbus’ birthplace and faith, Italian and Catholic communities in various parts of the country began organizing annual religious ceremonies and parades in his honor. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation encouraging Americans to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage with patriotic festivities." The World's Fair in Chicago was part of this commemorative celebration. It was the Knights of Columbus who lobbied President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim October 12th a national holiday.
Since the 19th century there has been opposition to Columbus Day. For religious reasons, anti-immigrant groups did not want to honor the day because of its association with Catholicism. In more recent history, rejection of the holiday has come from people who claim Columbus treated the Native Americans poorly upon his arrival and his arrival began the European colonization and death to many Native Americans. Several states have adopted Indigenous Persons Day as an alternative to Columbus Day with celebrations that honor and celebrate the people who were in this native land prior to the landing by Columbus.
Halloween
Halloween has a long history, according to www.history.com, where it was celebrated as the "ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts." When Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints' Day to honor the martyrs and saints, there were some aspects of the Samhain festival that were included. The evening before All Saints' Day was known as All Hallows Eve which became Halloween.
The festival of Samhain was part of the Celtic tradition which believed that on October 31st ghosts return to earth and upon their return they create chaos. The lighting of bonfires to burn crops and animals was a way to offer a sacrifice to the Celtic deities. During this celebration people wore costumes made from animal heads to tell the fortunes of people around them for the coming year.
Halloween was not widely celebrated in the American colonies due to the Protestant belief system except in Maryland and the southern colonies where the Halloween traditions were blended with Native American traditions. Some of the first celebrations were harvest related. The current Halloween tradition of going door to door for candy has roots from England when poor people went door to door begging for food. More information about the history and superstitions can be found in the link under "Sources."
These two celebrations show how religion has influenced how people celebrate in a variety of ways.
Peace and blessings.
Sources:
