October 31, 2022, was Halloween. On the night of Saturday, October 29, 2022, thousands of young people were gathering in the popular nightlife district of Seoul, South Korea to enjoy Halloween festivities. Restaurants and bars in the area were packed with partying youngsters wearing Halloween costumes. Suddenly the sounds of celebrations turned into screams for survival. According to The Guardian, in a narrow and sloped alley near a big hotel in the area, people continued to pour in while it was already packed resulting in a crowd crash and stampede killing at least 153 people and leaving many injured. Most of the victims were in their twenties – young people with their whole life ahead of them. It was a heartbreaking tragedy.
In our subcontinent, we are not that familiar with Halloween. What kind of festival is it? Let’s take a brief look at what it is.
David J. Skal in his book ‘Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween’ notes that all histories of Halloween trace back to the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. Celts were ancient tribal people who inhabited the British Isles and parts of Northern Europe. They were conquered by the Romans. Celts left no written records; everything known about them comes from the Romans.
Lisa Morton provides a more vivid account of Samhain in her book titled, ‘Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween.’ She explains that Samhain was celebrated on the night of October 31 marking the end of summer before the beginning of a cold and dark winter. It was a festive night with a feast and an abundance of drinks. Celts believed that the door between the world of dead and alive was opened on the night of Samhain.
Encyclopedia Britannica adds that the souls of the dead were believed to return to visit their homes on the night of Samhain and people set bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. Sometimes they wore masks and other disguises so that the ghosts couldn’t recognize them.
So, the elements of today’s Halloween – the date of celebration, food and drinks, masks, and costumes – all have their roots in the Celtic Samhain.
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This article was published in the Daily Sun on November 11, 2022. Please read the full article here or here.