The History of Halloween Decorations: The Stories Behind the Spookiest Night of the Year

Halloween as we know it today has a much longer history than I expected. The carved pumpkins, costumes, trick-or-treating, orange and black colours, and all those spooky decorations that appear every October did not even become part of Halloween at the same time.

This time, I wanted to look into the history behind what has become known as one of the scariest nights of the year. Going back through its history took me much further into the past, to a festival called Samhain, which is where the story of Halloween begins.

Quick Answer: Where Does Halloween Come From?

Halloween has a history shaped by different traditions over many centuries. One of its most important roots is Samhain, an ancient festival in Gaelic tradition that was celebrated mainly in Ireland and other Celtic regions of the British Isles. After Christianity spread, older traditions came into contact with the celebration of All Saints’ Day and the evening before it, All Hallows’ Eve, which eventually gave us the name Halloween.

The Halloween traditions we know today appeared much later. Jack-o’-lanterns are connected to the tradition of carving vegetables and the Irish folk tale of Stingy Jack, while trick-or-treating developed from older customs such as souling and guising, which later changed again in North America. So modern Halloween does not come from a single tradition, but developed over centuries from a mixture of different customs, beliefs, and cultures.

I’ve also added a few Halloween products at the end of this article.

Where Does Halloween Come From?

When I started looking into where Halloween actually came from, the story went much further back than I expected. Its roots are often traced to Samhain, an ancient festival in the Gaelic tradition, celebrated mainly in Ireland and other Celtic regions of the British Isles.

Celtic itself is not the name of a country. It is a term used for groups of people and cultures that were once spread across different parts of Europe. Gaelic is one branch of the Celtic tradition, and Samhain was one of its important festivals.

Celtic languages and cultural traditions can still be found today, particularly in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany in France.

The Celebration of Samhain

Samhain traditionally marked November 1 and the beginning of winter in the traditional Irish calendar. Like many other traditional festivals, the main celebrations took place the evening before, on October 31.

People gathered for feasts, games, and various customs connected with this point in the year, and fire also had a place in a number of Samhain traditions.

With the harvest coming to an end and winter approaching, this period had a particular meaning. Brighter, warmer days were giving way to the darker, colder months ahead.

Yet Samhain was about more than the arrival of winter. It was also associated with beliefs about the boundary between the world of the living and the Otherworld.

Image: https://www.developingspirit.com/

When the Worlds of the Living and the Dead Were Believed to Draw Closer

In older traditions, the period around Samhain was also associated with the supernatural. People believed that the spirits of those who had died could return and that the Otherworld felt closer at this time.

Because of this, death, spirits, protection, divination, and various supernatural beliefs became part of the traditions that developed around Samhain.

Disguises and masks also have a long history in Irish Halloween traditions. People dressed in disguises, while various protective practices were used to guard homes and families against bad luck.

Divination was also part of a number of older Samhain and Halloween traditions. One that I found particularly interesting involved predictions about marriage and who a person might eventually marry.

Some of these elements may already sound familiar. Spirits, disguises, fortune-telling, and the idea of a night connected with the supernatural all have echoes in the Halloween we know today. But there was still a long way to go before these older traditions became part of modern Halloween. Over the centuries, they met other religious and cultural customs, and even the name Halloween came from a different tradition.

From Samhain to Halloween

At first, I thought the story would be as simple as Samhain gradually turning into Halloween, but the history is more complicated than that. As Christianity spread through Celtic regions, older seasonal traditions continued alongside Christian observances, and over time some customs and ideas became intertwined.

November 1 became known as All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Day, a Christian feast day commemorating saints and holy people. The evening before, October 31, was known as All Hallows’ Eve.

The name Halloween developed from this Christian observance rather than from the word Samhain itself. Hallow means a saint or holy person, while eve refers to the evening before a feast or special day. All Hallows’ Eve, therefore, means the evening before All Saints’ Day.

As the language changed over time, All Hallows’ Even became Hallowe’en and eventually Halloween.

During the centuries that followed, older traditions, Christian observances, folklore, and local customs continued to develop alongside one another. Some of the things we now associate most closely with Halloween, including jack-o’-lanterns and trick-or-treating, have their own histories and followed different paths before becoming part of the Halloween we know today.

The Legend of Stingy Jack and the Jack-o’-Lantern

One of the best-known Halloween folk tales comes from Ireland and tells the story of a man named Stingy Jack.

According to the legend, Jack was a cunning man who managed to trick the Devil several times. After he died, Jack was not accepted into heaven, but the Devil would not let him enter hell either.

The story says that Jack was left to wander through the darkness with only a burning ember to light his way. He supposedly placed the ember inside a hollowed-out turnip and used it as a lantern.

The story later became associated with the name Jack of the Lantern, which eventually became jack-o’-lantern.

Since Stingy Jack belongs to folklore, the story is of course not a historical record of a person whose existence can be proven. But the legend became an important part of the stories that developed around the jack-o’-lantern.

From Turnips to Pumpkins

The turnip in the story of Stingy Jack may seem unusual now, especially when pumpkins are so closely associated with Halloween. But the orange pumpkins we recognise today were not part of the earlier tradition. In Ireland and Britain, people carved root vegetables such as turnips, and sometimes beets, to make lanterns. When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to North America in the nineteenth century, they found that pumpkins were much larger and easier to hollow out and carve. Gradually, pumpkins replaced turnips and developed into the jack-o’-lanterns we know today.

Every glowing jack-o’-lantern sitting on a doorstep at Halloween carries a name that most people may never have stopped to think about. That name comes from an Irish folk tale about a man called Stingy Jack.

Orange Pumpkins

The carved lantern tradition eventually travelled across the Atlantic with Irish immigrants, but this was the part of the story that surprised me. The pumpkin only appeared after the tradition reached America. The folklore behind the lantern remained connected to Stingy Jack, who, according to legend, was condemned after his death to wander the earth carrying only a glowing ember because he was accepted into neither heaven nor hell.

I had always thought of a jack-o’-lantern as a carved pumpkin, so I had never really considered what people might have used before pumpkins became part of Halloween. In Ireland and Britain, they carved root vegetables such as turnips, potatoes, and beets because pumpkins were not part of the crops they grew.

Once Irish immigrants settled in America, they found pumpkins that were larger and much easier to hollow out. Gradually, these replaced the root vegetables they had used before, giving the old lantern tradition the orange pumpkin form that is now so closely associated with Halloween.

Why Do We Say “Trick or Treat”?

Going from door to door was not originally about collecting candy. During the Middle Ages, a custom known as soulingdeveloped in Christian parts of Europe and became particularly associated with England and the British Isles. Around All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, poor people went from house to house asking for food, including cakes that later became known as soul cakes. In return, they prayed for the souls of family members who had died.

Door-to-door customs continued to take different forms. Guising, which is more specifically associated with Scotland and Ireland, involved people, and later mainly children, dressing in disguises or costumes and visiting homes. This time, receiving something often involved giving something in return. They might sing a song, recite a poem, tell a story, or perform a small trick before being given food, fruit, nuts, or another gift.

By the early twentieth century, similar Halloween customs were appearing in North America. In 1911, a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, reported children wearing costumes and going around at Halloween to receive food or money.

The familiar words came a little later. Canadian newspapers provide some early examples of the expression that eventually became “trick or treat.” The Sault Daily Star in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, printed the phrase “tricks or treats” on November 1, 1917.

Four years later, The Sun Times of Owen Sound used the form “trick or treat” in a November 3, 1921 article titled “‘Quiet Halloween”

From there, trick-or-treating became increasingly common across North America, although the custom declined during World War II, when sugar rationing limited the availability of candy. It returned after the war, and by the 1950s had become one of the most widely recognised Halloween traditions in the United States. The door-to-door tradition had changed considerably along the way, from prayers and soul cakes to disguises and small performances, and eventually to children in costume asking for candy.

Image: “Treat or a trick” chanted by the youth on Hallowe’en night, according to The Sun-Times of Owen Sound, ON, 3 Nov. 1921 (Photo: B. Popik)

Why Do People Wear Costumes?

Halloween costumes have changed a lot from what they once were. Long before dressing up became part of the fun of Halloween, disguises were connected with older beliefs about spirits and the dead (see the earlier section on the celebration of Samhain).

During Samhain, people believed that the boundary between the human world and the spirit world became thinner. Wearing animal skins or masks was thought to disguise a person from the spirits believed to be wandering among the living.

It is quite a contrast with Halloween now, when choosing a costume can be part of the fun. But the idea of changing your appearance for one night goes back much further than the costumes that fill the shops every October.

Why Is Halloween Associated with Orange and Black?

Orange and black appear so often in Halloween decorations that I had never really stopped to wonder why. Every October, I see the same colours on pumpkins, candles, shop displays, and decorations everywhere. Even without a ghost, skeleton, or witch in sight, putting orange and black together is often enough for me to immediately think of Halloween.

The two colours are often linked to the Celtic roots of Samhain. Orange represents the harvest season, while black represents death and the approaching darkness of winter. Their meanings are quite different, which may also explain why they create such a strong contrast when placed together.

Orange itself is created by mixing red and yellow and is usually associated with warmth and happiness. Black carries very different associations, including power, mystery, and fear.

Over time, this contrast became a familiar part of Halloween’s visual identity, particularly as commercial Halloween decorations became more widespread during the twentieth century.

Of course, Halloween decorations are no longer limited to these two colours. Purple, green, white, red, and even pastels now appear alongside the traditional palette. I still find it interesting, though, that with so many different Halloween styles now available, orange and black remain enough to make almost any decoration immediately feel like Halloween.

From Traditions to Halloween Symbols

I have seen the same Halloween symbols so many times that I never really questioned why they belonged together. Jack-o’-lanterns, witches, ghosts, bats, spiders, skeletons, and black cats all seem completely normal as Halloween decorations now. But once I started looking at their history, I realised that each one found its way into Halloween for a different reason.

Jack-o’-lanterns were the first symbol that made more sense to me once I knew the history behind them. As I mentioned earlier, they developed from the custom of carving vegetables such as turnips and are also linked to the Irish folk tale of Stingy Jack. What I had always pictured as a Halloween pumpkin actually began with something very different, before Irish immigrants brought the carving tradition to North America and pumpkins gradually took over.

Witches are another image I have always automatically connected with Halloween, especially the familiar pointed hat, broomstick, and cauldron. But those details did not all come from one old Halloween tradition. The Halloween witch developed from centuries of European beliefs about witchcraft, magic, and the supernatural, mixed with images that later appeared in folklore, art, literature, and popular culture.

Ghosts seemed like one of the more obvious Halloween symbols to me, especially after learning more about Samhain. Beliefs that the boundary between the living and the Otherworld became less distinct at this time of year help explain why spirits fit so naturally into Halloween. Later traditions surrounding death and the dead added another layer to that connection.

Bats surprised me because their connection with Halloween can also be quite practical. Fires used during autumn gatherings attracted insects, and bats followed the insects looking for food. I had always thought of bats as Halloween symbols simply because they come out at night and look suitably spooky, but there is more behind the association than their appearance alone.

Spiders and their webs are another decoration I had never really questioned. They seem almost automatic whenever something is supposed to look old, abandoned, or haunted. Spiders had already appeared in folklore and superstition for centuries, while real cobwebs naturally collect in places left undisturbed. It is not difficult to see how they eventually found a place among haunted houses, ghosts, and other Halloween imagery.

Skeletons also seemed obvious to me because of their direct connection with death. But skeletons and skulls were used as symbols long before modern Halloween existed. They appeared for centuries in European art as reminders of death and mortality, so their later place among Halloween’s ghosts, graves, and other images of death feels much less random once you know that history.

Black cats were the symbol I became especially curious about because I had always seen them pictured beside witches. I knew about the superstition that a black cat could bring bad luck, but I had never really thought about where that idea came from or why black cats became so closely connected with witches and Halloween.

That familiar black cat sitting beside a witch has a much older and more complicated history behind it, going back to beliefs and superstitions that existed long before modern Halloween.

Black Cats and the Myth of Witches

The connection between black cats and Halloween goes back to superstitions that had already been developing in Europe for centuries. During the Middle Ages, cats were sometimes associated with witches and evil forces. In some beliefs, witches were even thought to be able to transform into cats or to keep cats as familiars, supernatural beings believed to assist them. Because of these beliefs, crossing paths with a black cat came to be seen as a bad omen.

These beliefs did not disappear when they crossed the Atlantic. They travelled to North America, where witches and black cats continued to appear together in stories and illustrations. As Halloween celebrations became more widespread, the same imagery naturally began appearing on Halloween cards, party decorations, and other seasonal designs. The silhouette of a black cat could easily suggest witchcraft, mystery, and the supernatural, even without the old stories being told alongside it.

From there, black cats became a familiar part of Halloween decoration. They appeared beside witches, jack-o’-lanterns, moons, and other spooky imagery on greeting cards, paper decorations, party supplies, and eventually the seasonal decorations we see in shops today. What had once belonged to superstition had gradually become part of Halloween’s visual identity.

Of course, black cats have no real connection with bad luck or witchcraft. That reputation comes from folklore and superstition, but its influence can still be seen every October. Most of us probably do not think about medieval beliefs or witches’ familiars when we see a black cat decoration. We may simply think that its dark silhouette looks perfectly at home beside an orange jack-o’-lantern.

From Trick-or-Treating to Candy Corn

Once trick-or-treating grew into a popular Halloween tradition, candy became increasingly associated with the celebration too. One of the most recognisable examples in the United States is candy corn, a small sweet shaped like a corn kernel with white, orange, and yellow layers.

Candy corn first appeared around the 1880s at the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia. At the time, sweets shaped to resemble farm produce were popular, and candy corn’s resemblance to a kernel of corn fitted naturally into that trend.

Interestingly, candy corn was not originally made specifically for Halloween.

The Goelitz Candy Company, which later became known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company, began producing and marketing the sweet in the late nineteenth century. Its candy corn was sold under the “Chicken Feed” theme, complete with an image of a chicken on the packaging.

It was not until the 1950s that candy corn became more closely associated with Halloween, as trick-or-treating grew in popularity and packaged candy became an important part of the celebration. Its connection with Halloween therefore came much later than the candy itself. What began as one of many farm-inspired sweets eventually became a familiar sight during the Halloween season in the United States.

Halloween Today Is Very Different from Samhain

After going through all these different parts of Halloween’s history, I can see why it is easy to connect modern Halloween with Samhain. But the more I looked into it, the clearer it became that they are not the same celebration.

Samhain came from the seasonal traditions of Gaelic communities and was connected with the changing seasons, agriculture, the supernatural, and beliefs held by people at the time. Modern Halloween developed through a much longer historical process, including the influence of Christian traditions, European migration to North America, folklore, local customs, and eventually popular culture and commercialisation.

For many people today, Halloween is more of a social and secular celebration. Some have parties, wear costumes, take their children trick-or-treating, watch horror films, visit haunted houses, or simply decorate their homes.

Looking at Halloween this way also made me see its decorations differently. Many of the things that now seem like ordinary seasonal decorations still carry small pieces of that much longer history.

The pumpkins we carve today replaced the turnips once used in Ireland, while modern costumes still carry traces of much older traditions of disguise. Black cats, now often used as cute Halloween decorations, were once surrounded by all kinds of superstition. Even a bowl of candy sitting near the front door connects back to traditions that changed considerably before becoming the trick-or-treating we know today.

Once you know where some of these familiar things came from, Halloween decorations are no longer quite as random as they might first appear. They are a mixture of traditions and symbols that found their way into the same celebration at very different points in its history.

The Fun of Halloween

After looking through its history, I now see Halloween decorations a little differently.

The pumpkins, costumes, lights, dark colours, and candy that seem like ordinary parts of Halloween today actually came from different periods and traditions. Gradually, they all came together to form the Halloween we know now.

We can keep the decorations simple with a few pumpkins and lights, or turn the front garden into a scene filled with ghosts, skeletons, and spiders. There is no single way it has to be done.

Perhaps that is also part of why Halloween keeps changing. Its traditions have been developing for centuries, while each generation adds its own way of playing with the dark and spooky atmosphere of October 31.

I started looking into all of this because I was curious about the decorations we see every October. Of course I knew the pumpkin had a story behind it, but I had never really thought about why a black cat belongs next to a witch, where trick-or-treating came from, or why candy became such a big part of Halloween. I certainly did not expect all of them to lead in different directions.

That is probably what I will remember when Halloween decorations start appearing again. I will still choose them because I like how they look, not because I am thinking about centuries of history while decorating. But now a carved pumpkin is also going to remind me of those old turnip lanterns, and a black cat beside a witch will make a little more sense.

And I have to admit, after spending this much time looking into Halloween, I feel like decorating for it myself. Have you started yet?

Frequently Asked Questions

Work with Twinkle So Bright: If you have a product, design or collaboration that fits naturally with the subject of this article, you can view my collaboration options on the Twinkle So Bright Collaborate page.

Related Halloween Products

You May Also Like

• Halloween Sneakers You’ll Still Want to Wear After October
• Hello Kitty History: The Story Behind the Famous Character
• Why Pink and Roses Still Feel Romantic
• Bee Patterns: A Design That Never Really Goes Out of Style
• Why Winnie the Pooh Never Gets Boring After 100 Years

My Discount Codes

A little extra for Twinkle So Bright readers. Here are my current discount codes for brands I work with.

Wild
Get 20% off your first Wild order with code TWINKLEWILD.
Shop Wild

Promeed
Get 15% off with my code PUSPITA2026.
Shop Promeed

AirZlink eSIM
Get 30% off in the AirZlink eSIM app with code BRIGHT.
Get AirZlink eSIM