The History of Halloween

Presented by:Matthew S. Gardiner

Table of Contents

• Introduction• History-

-originations -Through the

Centuries-Today

• Importance/ Teaching it• Conclusion/ Cool Pictures

- Sources/ Links

HistoryOriginations

• The Celts that lived

2,000 years ago celebrated this time of year which ended summer and the harvest. It began the time of winter, often associated with death.

Originations Cont’d

• On the 31st of October Druids(Priests) would light fires and people would wear animal skins and heads to scare off the evil spirits.

• The reason for scaring away the bad spirits because it was believed they damaged crops and prevented the Druids from foretelling a positive future in the spring.

• It was important for people who lived so close to the land.

Through the Centuries

• Traditions changed as groups/ societies of people adapted to new surroundings and cultures.

• As time passed so did traditions.

• It is very different in the United States, then when it started.

Halloween Today

• With the “mixing” of different cultures came different adoptions of the holiday.

• Focus eventually shifted to a communal, neighborly one.

• Trick or Treat originated from England…Soul cakes given out in exchange for prayers of dead souls.

• Food is left outside the house to prevent ghosts from entering.

• $ 6.9 billion spent annually

Importance/ Why teach it?

• The importance is that it is a way for us to teach how many cultures can come together to make something unique, its celebrates diversity.

• It’s fun

• It’s still history

• It’s different

Conclusions

• Halloween has an extensive history

• It has many different cultures

• The internet has many different pictures we can find on the computer (see next slide)

Cool Pictures

Spooky huh :-o Animated skeletal ghost

                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                    

A few more…alright I am done

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Links/ Sources

www.webweaver.nu/clipart/halloween/ - Good source for clipart

http://www.history.com/content/halloween - Good source for history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween - Good general source for students to learn about history