This is the latest instalment of a series of columns produced by the Coquitlam Heritage Society to coincide with the city of Coquitlam’s 125th birthday this year. The columns are being published every few weeks until the end of the year.
Halloween’s origin lies in the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, a festival associated with life, death and renewal. In ancient times, it was celebrated as a ritual to honour the dead and mark the end of summer.
Many believe that the Celtic roots of Samhain were blended with Christian traditions during the early Middle Ages in Europe, resulting in the creation of All Hallows Eve. This was the evening before All Saint’s Day, which was itself an important time of religious observance for many Christians.
Some believe Halloween was brought to North America primarily by Irish and Scottish immigrants and the word “Halloween” itself is thought to be a colloquial abbreviation of the phrase “All Hallows Eve.”
By the Edwardian era, All Hallows Eve had lost much of its religious connotation. Instead, Halloween became a festive holiday characterized by fun, spooky activities like fortune telling, ghost stories and costume parties. Halloween greeting cards featuring motifs of friendly young witches, black cats, fortune telling and jack-o’-lanterns were also popular. Women and girls would often try to divine the name or face of their future husbands using a variety of folk tricks and games.
Pranking has always been popular at Halloween, especially among youths. During the Edwardian Era in Coquitlam, groups of young boys often ran around the neighbourhood disturbing outhouses and sabotaging farm equipment.
In the book Coquitlam 100 Years, community members recall walking great distances through farmland and forest to go trick or treating, often getting homegrown apples as treats. Candy was a rarity. The tradition of trick-or-treating itself has ancient roots, going back at least to medieval times, when costumed people performed skits, songs or prayers for food and drink on the holiday.
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Museum fun on Saturday.
• Visit Mackin House Museum on Saturday, Oct. 29 for fun-filled heritage Halloween activities for the entire family. Try out some vintage candied apples, decorate Edwardian-style Halloween cards and participate in holiday crafts for all ages. Entrance is by donation and no registration is required. Call the museum at 604-516-6151 for more details, or visit www.coquitlamheritage.ca.
