How was All Hallows Eve celebrated in the 1800's?

Question

I love All Hallows Eve and wanted to know how it was celebrated back in the day? Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, was originally a pagan celebration and has been celebrated for thousands of years so yes it was celebrated during the 1800s.

Answer 2

Halloween was actually brought over by the Irish immigrants fleeing from the potato famine.  It is based on Samhain or the Feast of the Dead.  It celebrates the end of the harvest and the start of winter as well as the time when the Celts believed there was no veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, making it possible for spirits to walk the earth.  The first of November is All Saint's Day celebrating the saints that have been beatified by the Catholic Church.  The 2nd day of November is All Souls Day where the departed souls who have not reached heaven are prayed for.  Trick or treating came from the tradition where Christians would walk from village to village begging for soul cakes.

During the 1800's Halloween Parties became poplular and were celebrated much the same as today with costumes, fortune tellers, and games etc.  Trick or treating was actually introduced in the early part of the 20th century in order to diffuse some of the tricking that had become vandalism and/or dangerous.