The History of Halloween: Witches, Candles, Ghosts & the Strange Origins of October 31st

The History of Halloween

Every year, on October 31st, millions of people dress up, carve pumpkins, watch horror films and eat an frankly unreasonable amount of sweets.

But Halloween wasn’t always about pumpkin carving competitions and arguing over who gets the last mini chocolate bar.

Its origins are considerably stranger.

Long before modern Halloween existed, people were lighting enormous fires, disguising themselves, telling stories about spirits and using flames to illuminate carved vegetables.

There were beliefs about the dead.

There were fortune-telling traditions.

There were witches.

And, unsurprisingly, there were candles.

So how did we get from ancient fire festivals to the Halloween we know today?

Let’s go back to the beginning.

 

It Started With Samhain

One of the traditions most commonly associated with the origins of Halloween is Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker part of the year.

It was traditionally observed around the end of October.

For people living in agricultural societies, this was a significant moment.

The harvest was ending.

Winter was approaching.

The days were becoming shorter.

And the landscape was changing.

Samhain was associated with a time when the boundary between the world of the living and the supernatural was believed to become thinner.

And what did people do when things got a little spooky?

They lit fires.

Big ones.

 

The Original Halloween Was Very Smoky

Fire played an important role in Samhain traditions.

Communities gathered around large ceremonial bonfires, while household hearth fires were extinguished and, according to historical accounts, could be relit from a communal fire.

The flames weren’t simply there to make everything look dramatic.

Fire had practical, symbolic and ritual significance.

It represented warmth and light as the darker months arrived.

And, when you’re living without streetlights, electricity or Netflix…

A massive fire is a pretty good gathering point.

 

When The Dead Came Knocking

Halloween has long been connected with supernatural beliefs.

During Samhain, spirits and other supernatural beings were believed in folklore to be particularly active.

This helped create traditions involving disguises and costumes.

People could dress in ways that made them resemble supernatural beings or hide their identities.

Over centuries, these traditions evolved.

The ghosts, spirits and supernatural creatures that once belonged to folklore eventually became some of the most recognisable characters of modern Halloween.

Ghosts.

Ghouls.

Skeletons.

And, of course…

Witches.

 

And Then Came The Witches

The image of the Halloween witch is one of the most recognisable symbols of October 31st.

Pointed hat.

Dark clothing.

Cauldron.

Broomstick.

Possibly a cat that looks like it has absolutely no interest in your nonsense.

But the historical reality of witchcraft is considerably more complicated.

Across different cultures and periods, people accused of practising witchcraft could be associated with magic, healing, divination or folk traditions.

Many of those accused during European witch hunts were women, although men were also accused.

The idea of the stereotypical Halloween witch developed over centuries through folklore, religious beliefs, literature and popular culture.

So while the modern Halloween witch is largely a cultural creation, the fascination with magic and ritual is much older.

And this is where candles enter the story.

 

So… Did Witches Actually Use Candles?

This is where Halloween history gets interesting.

The short answer is:

Flames and candles have been used in ritual, religious, folk-magic and divination practices across different cultures and periods.

But there wasn’t one universal ancient “witch candle ritual” that every witch followed.

The modern image of a witch surrounded by rows of candles comes from a mixture of folklore, ceremonial traditions and much more recent magical practices.

Fire itself, however, has a much longer history.

Humans have been fascinated by flame for thousands of years.

It provides light.

Heat.

Protection.

And an almost hypnotic focal point.

Which might explain why, even today, lighting a candle can instantly change the atmosphere of a room.

 

The Original Halloween Candle Wasn’t In A Pumpkin

Here’s one of the best bits.

Before pumpkins became synonymous with Halloween, people in parts of Ireland and Scotland were carving turnips and other root vegetables into lanterns.

Yes.

Turnips.

The humble turnip was once Halloween’s pumpkin.

Carved vegetables could be illuminated with candles or burning embers, creating eerie faces glowing in the darkness.

And suddenly the modern jack-o’-lantern makes a lot more sense.

The pumpkin came later, particularly after Halloween traditions travelled to North America.

And pumpkins simply happened to be considerably easier to carve.

Imagine trying to carve a turnip.

Actually…

Don’t.

 

Enter: Stingy Jack

One of the most famous pieces of Halloween folklore is the story of Stingy Jack.

According to Irish folklore, Jack was a particularly unpleasant character who managed to trick the Devil on more than one occasion.

Eventually, Jack was denied entry to both Heaven and Hell.

So he was left wandering in darkness with nothing but a burning coal to light his way.

Jack supposedly placed the burning coal inside a carved turnip.

And the legend of Jack of the Lantern, eventually shortened to jack-o’-lantern  was born.

Whether you believe the story or not, it makes one thing clear:

The original Halloween lantern was considerably less Instagram-friendly than today’s pumpkin.

 

From Turnips To Pumpkins

When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought Halloween traditions to North America, the tradition of carving lanterns continued.

But there was one major upgrade.

Pumpkins.

They were larger.

They were easier to carve.

And they were much better suited to creating enormous glowing faces.

The pumpkin eventually became one of the defining symbols of Halloween.

Today, millions are carved every year.

And somewhere, an unfortunate turnip is wondering where it all went wrong.

 

How Halloween Got Its Name

Halloween didn’t begin with the name Halloween.

As Christianity spread through Europe, existing traditions became intertwined with Christian observances.

November 1 became associated with All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day.

The evening before became known as All Hallows’ Eve.

Over time, the name evolved.

All Hallows’ Eve.

Hallowe’en.

Halloween.

And the date of October 31st became firmly established as the night before All Saints’ Day.

 

What About Trick-or-Treating?

The trick-or-treat tradition also has a surprisingly complicated history.

It wasn’t simply invented by someone who thought children needed more sweets.

Its roots can be traced through several older traditions, including medieval practices such as souling, where people would go from door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.

There were also traditions involving costumes, performances and going from house to house.

Over time, these customs evolved into the trick-or-treating tradition we recognise today.

The basic concept remained remarkably simple:

Go to someone’s house.

Ask for something.

Hopefully don’t get chased away.

And acquire an impressive amount of sugar.

 

Halloween Becomes Halloween

By the 19th and 20th centuries, Halloween was changing dramatically.

Older religious and folklore traditions gradually became mixed with community celebrations, parties, costumes, games and entertainment.

Halloween eventually became less about supernatural beliefs and more about having fun with them.

Witches became costumes.

Ghost stories became entertainment.

Turnip lanterns became pumpkins.

And bonfires became something you might attend while wearing a questionable outfit and eating a hot dog.

The spooky atmosphere remained.

The meaning changed.

 

Why Are Candles Still Part Of Halloween?

It’s interesting that, despite everything Halloween has become, one thing has remained remarkably consistent:

The flame.

From enormous Samhain bonfires…

To burning embers…

To candlelit turnip lanterns…

To today’s pumpkins glowing on doorsteps…

Light has always played a role in Halloween traditions.

And perhaps that’s because darkness makes a flame feel different.

One small light in a dark room immediately draws your attention.

It creates atmosphere.

It creates warmth.

And, let’s be honest, it makes everything look slightly more mysterious.

 

Halloween And The Modern Candle

Today, candles are much more commonly associated with atmosphere, fragrance and relaxation than supernatural rituals.

But the connection between candlelight and Halloween is still incredibly strong.

A flickering flame.

A dark room.

Shadows across the walls.

The smell of smoke, wood, spice or amber.

It’s practically the perfect atmosphere for October 31st.

And you don’t necessarily need a haunted house to enjoy it.

Sometimes you just need to turn the lights down.

 

Why Halloween Still Fascinates Us

Perhaps the reason Halloween has survived for so long is that it taps into something very human.

We like stories.

We like mystery.

We like being scared — as long as we’re reasonably confident we’re going to be okay afterwards.

We like dressing differently.

We like traditions.

And we like fire.

From ancient bonfires to modern candles, the flickering flame has remained one of the most atmospheric parts of the celebration.

Halloween may look very different today.

But some of its oldest ingredients are still there.

Darkness.

Stories.

Mystery.

And light.

 

The Ember & Oak Connection

At Ember & Oak, we’re fascinated by the atmosphere that fragrance and candlelight can create.

Because a candle isn’t simply something that smells nice.

The flame changes the environment around it.

The fragrance changes the atmosphere.

And suddenly a familiar room can feel completely different.

Halloween is perhaps the perfect example.

Turn down the lights.

Light a candle.

Put on something suitably dark.

And let the atmosphere do the rest.

No broomstick required.

 

A Final Thought On Halloween

Halloween has travelled a very long way.

From ancient harvest traditions…

To enormous bonfires…

To stories of spirits and supernatural beings…

To witches and folk traditions…

To candlelit turnip lanterns…

To Stingy Jack…

To pumpkins…

To trick-or-treating…

And finally to the Halloween we know today.

The costumes changed.

The traditions evolved.

The turnips were replaced by pumpkins.

But the fascination with darkness and light never really disappeared.

And perhaps that’s what makes Halloween so enduring.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one flickering flame in a dark room to make an ordinary evening feel a little more mysterious.

Happy Halloween. 🎃

🖤 EMBER & OAK
Scents of Distinction.