Halloween is filled with spooky things, from horror movies to ghost stories. But how did it all begin? This is debated to an extent among scholars, but the consensus is that the holiday began as the Celtic festival Samhain, around 2,000 years ago in current-day Ireland. This holiday celebrated the beginning of winter and the end of a good harvest.
While Halloween is now on the same day every year, it hasn't always been this way. It used to be dependent on the position of the moon in relation to the earth. However, this changes over time, thus, a consistent date was set sometime during the modernization of the holiday. In America, Halloween didn’t become what it is now until the early to mid-20th century. However, it was present before this, just in a more traditional way.
The origins of Halloween are further detailed in “Halloween: Celestial Origins” at the planetarium. It presents the history of the holiday in an easy-to-understand format, so you have to be neither an astronomer nor a historian to get the most out of it. Something interesting about this film is that it was produced in-house at Ball State. Sophomores or Juniors should tune in next Halloween season, as it’s free to attend!
This year, SLC Alicia Morehead hosted an event that offered Cultural or Elective credit to those who went with the group to watch the show. Additionally, there have been many other events from SLCs with a Halloween theme. Numerous Halloween-specific activities are going on in Jeep and Burkhart Lounges, put on by the PAs leading up to the spooky holiday. These include many games and a costume contest. On a campus-wide scale, there is a Halloween event in Cardinal Hall on October 29, from 7-10 pm.
During Halloween, some consider the candy to be the best part, while others may say it is the costumes. Regardless of which aspect you enjoy, Halloween can be exciting no matter where your interest lies!
Great Article