Halloween is almost here!

Halloween has grown to become the second largest commercial holiday behind Christmas in the United States

Are you a person who is always asking “How many weeks till Halloween?” or “How many more days until Halloween?” Would you be surprised to learn that Halloween is so popular that it has become the second-largest commercial holiday event in the US each year, with an ~$6 billion spent annually? Christmas is the only holiday in the US where more is spent.  Considering this popularity and spending volume, why would anyone ever pay full price for Halloween costumes, Halloween candy, or Halloween Décor?  It is easy to save online with great Halloween costume deals, and we would like to be sure that you understand a bit more about this popular holiday! Halloween is a celebration celebrated every year on October 31 in the United States, but did you know that its roots can be traced back to the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain, which occurred over 2,000 years ago?

Traditionally, the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and harvest, as well as the beginning of the gloomy, icy winter, which was associated with human death in the past. Celts believed that the border between the living and the dead blurred the night before New Year’s Day. On October 31st, they commemorated Samhain, the day when it was believed that the spirits of the dead returned to earth. In addition to wreaking havoc and ruining crops, Celts believed that the presence of otherworldly spirits made it easier for Druids, or Celtic priests, to predict the future. These projections provided comfort to a people who had become fully dependent on the unpredictable natural environment during the long, gloomy winter. To commemorate the celebration, Druids built large sacred bonfires, where people came to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic gods. During the occasion, the Celts dressed up in animal heads and skins and attempted to tell one other’s fortunes. As the Romans conquered the world, including the Celtic regions, these traditions began to spread.

Due to strong puritanical ideals and protestant belief systems, the practice was once fairly confined in America. It wasn’t until many immigrants arrived in the United States from all over Europe and beyond. In the late 1800s, in America, there was a campaign to make Halloween about community and neighborly gatherings rather than ghosts, pranks, and witches. Around the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most popular way to honor the holiday. The gatherings were focused on games, seasonal cuisine, and bright costumes. By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had grown into a secular yet community-centered festival, with parades and town-wide gatherings providing entertainment. By 1950, trick-or-treating had been revived as a low-cost way for a community to participate in the holiday. In principle, families deterred neighborhood children from playing tricks on them by giving them small gifts like candy. As a result, a new American ritual arose, which has increased in popularity ever since.

If you are looking for the perfect Halloween costume or Halloween candy deals, be sure to shop online and combine those offers with Halloween Cashback to enjoy the lowest prices on Halloween home goods and anything else related to the holiday.  Once Halloween is a recent memory, it will be time to get geared up for Christmas shopping and the savings that come right after it with Black Friday Deals and Cyber Week Sales!

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