Halloween might be over a month away, but who isn’t already starting to talk about it? Whether you’re planning costumes, parties, or your Halloween movie binge watching schedule, you’re slowly but surely getting pumped for one of the best nights of the year.
But as you prepare to troll Pinterest for costume ideas, do you really know the history of the holiday you’re celebrating? I don’t mean the old school history of All Hallow’s Eve or pagan rituals being repackaged for Christian celebration. I could go there, but there’s not much to say other than, well, a bunch of folks used what we now know as Halloween as a night to communicate with spirits and celebrate. Instead, I’m going to talk about how Halloween has changed in America over the past 100 years. Trust me, this stuff is legitimately fascinating. Check it out.
Halloween Was Big On Match Making In The Early 1900s
You might be surprised to hear that during the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, Halloween parties were basically turnt af match making parties. Okay, maybe not super turnt, but people sometimes dressed up in disguises or a nice outfit and hoped to find their OTP. Yeah, this wasn't a super child focused holiday just yet.
An Uptick In Candy And An Uptick In Violence
The the 1920s and 1930s, trick-or-treating had a very small following and it was very child oriented. Candy companies tried to jump on the trend ASAP. But along with treats came plenty of tricks. In fact, vandalism on and around Halloween was a huge deal around this time. I'm not talking knocking down a mail box or TPing a house. Imagine gangs of rowdy young kids breaking into businesses, starting fires, and generally causing a huge effing mess. Some major urban areas would report up to $100,00 of damage. But all that mischief would suddenly fall within the next decade or so.
WWII Led To Sugar Rationing And Less Vandalism
Why did all that violence dissipate? Oh, you know, the country was just in a major World War. NBD. No, but really, around this time, vandalism of any sort wasn't just seen as annoying, it was seen as unpatriotic. It was like...suburban treason. Also, sugar rationing made one of the best parts of halloween--the candy--take a major backseat in the festivities.
The Rebirth Of Halloween After The War
After the war, Halloween got its spunk back. To curb a possible resurgence of vandalism, parents were encouraged to host Halloween parties for their kids. Yeah, that meant you were keeping your butt indoors and bobbing for apples ad nauseum. Forget trick-or-treating. In fact, some people even found trick-or-treating offensive. Famously, in 1948, the Madison Square Boy's Club staged a parade in which they protested the act of trick-or-treating. Their tagline? "American Boys Don't Beg." How much do you want to bet that this was the idea of these kids' parents, not the actual kids?
The Big Comeback Of Trick-Or-Treating In The '50s And '60s
Halloween parties were still a big deal, but trick-or-treating was finally seeing its first big comeback in nearly two decades by the 1950s. There are two huge factors that started this. One, Trick-Or-Treat For UNICEF, the charity organization. Yep, this started in 1953 and became a massive hit around the country by the late '50s. It was basically uncool if you were just stuck inside all day and not going out there getting candy and helping to save the world through charity. Two, candy companies leapt on the trick or treating trend by mass marketing Halloween themed advertising.
Halloween Is For The Big Kids Again
Halloween had gone from a largely adult affair to child-centric in a matter of 50 years. But by the '70s and '80s, Halloween started to be acceptable for adults to participate in again. In fact, urban LGBTQ communities in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles can be credited for prompting this shift, because local groups often threw big Halloween parties and parades.
Also, once teens outgrew trick-or-treating, many decided to have some fun the night before Halloween. Whether you call it Mischief Night, Devil's Night, or something totally different, the night before Halloween was the ultimate prank day again for young folks in the '70s and '80s. Sure, people still pull pranks today, but it certainly seems to be less common. Talk to anyone who was a kid during that time, and they'll have plenty of stories to tell, trust.
Halloween Candy Tampering Myths
Has your mom or dad ever warned you about Halloween candy that might be poisoned? What about apples with razor blades in them? You'll be happy to know that that's all a bunch of BS; there was never an incident in which several kids died after eating tampered Halloween treats. So how did this paranoia begin? In 1975, a young boy died of cyanide poisoning after eating Halloween candy. But he didn't receive the candy from some creepy stranger. Nope, his own dad poisoned him. Still, rumors ran wild, and soon enough, poisoned candy became every parent's worst nightmare in the '80s and '90s.
You couldn't even get through a Gem Halloween episode without getting interrupted by your mom warning you about your neighbors trying to poison you. Woof.
The Spread Of Halloween Around The World
Halloween really wasn't the phenomenon it is today anywhere outside of the United States until the '90s and '00s. Before then, the idea of having a Halloween Party in the UK was unthinkable. But, hey, Halloween is a huge business that rakes in billions of dollars a year. Also, due to America's massive pop culture influence worldwide, it should come as no surprise that people have begun to celebrate Halloween in loads of different countries. I mean, look at that photo of the effin Queen Of England overseeing some pumpkin action!
With that said, it's safe to say that America is still the one place where Halloween is truly a massive national holiday.
Getting Critical About Halloween Costumes
In the age of think pieces, viral photos, and political correctness, a year doesn't go by without controversy over Halloween costumes. Nobody is just dressing up as a witch or a devil anymore. Nope, we've gotten a lot more creative, which is great in some ways and terrible in others. For example, guys dressing up in blackface and pretending to be rappers and girls wearing cheap headdresses and dressing up as "Indian princesses." Sup, cultural appropriation? Then there's the ultra topical costumes like Caitlyn Jenner or a Syrian refugee. Barf. The Culture, Not A Costume campaign launched in 2011 to help combat the ignorance.
Then, there's the fact that sexy Halloween costumes are getting marketed to a younger and younger audience, especially for girls. A lot of slut shaming usually accompanies criticism of teen girls dressing sexy for Halloween, which is ridiculous. But it is pretty alarming that borderline dominatrix outfits are being marketed toward eight-year-olds.