Why Halloween is the coolest holiday in America. And other places too.

Full disclosure: I love Halloween.

I love it. 

I am fascinated by it. I appreciate that it exists.

And it's more evidence that America's pretty awesome.

Halloween Origins: Celtic Nights

It is most widely agreed that what we currently know as Halloween originated in Pagan rituals of the Celtic cultures, specifically the Gaelic harvest festival "Summer's end".  

Eventually the festival was Christianized, took on some new characteristics, including the ritual of costuming and going door-to-door offering song/prayers for the dead in exchange for food. Though it was still only the Gaelic nations that celebrated it. 

Prior to the mid-19th century, neither Halloween, nor Christmas widely celebrated in America. Our early Puritan settlers were against these rituals, and the English/French/Spanish didn't really celebrate them either.  It wasn't until the mass arrival of Irish in America (due to the Potato Famine) that Halloween was introduced to North America. 

Point One

 America's nature and history of being an immigrant nation allowed Halloween to expand beyond fringe status.

Point Two

But, Halloween wouldn't be what it is today without our pure American in-born Capitalistic spirit and the help of the underrated, hugely-influential role of the U.S. stationery industry.  

Yes, once again, postcards and greeting cards led the way in promoting Halloween, followed closely by the toymakers.

Point Three

Few places outside of America celebrates fear-as-fun quite like we do.  Maybe Japan.  Horror movies, thrill rides, haunted houses.  How cool is it to see whole neighborhoods fiercely competing to create the most frightening front porch?  Every October in America households attempt to decorate their home in the theme of graveyards, dead and dismembered bodies, and foreboding fear.

Point Four

Halloween, more than any other holiday in the west, celebrates creativity and the desire to be someone else entirely. The lessons for our youth embedded in Halloween? It's okay to emulate someone else. It's okay to desire to do and be something else. It's okay be anything you want.  

So go, dress up, trick-or-treat, and have fun.

--Post-Script

America's pretty cool.