Spice Of Life: The Evolution Of Halloween

The history of Halloween has its roots in the long-forgotten Irish immigrants, who came to America in the 1900s. The wave of Irish that flooded the United States after the country’s potato famine helped popularize the holiday, which had traditionally been celebrated as "Samhain" in parts of Europe—Samhain marked the end of the summer season and the beginning of winter. It has traditionally been celebrated with bonfires, silent suppers (which honor the dead), dressing in orange and black, costumes and rituals.

Along the way, other traditions became incorporated with Halloween. The tradition of "guising," which originated in Scotland, gained popularity once sugar rations were lifted in the late 1940s (after WWII ended). Guising allowed kids—and adults—to dress up and go door to door for candy and treats. While it seems innocent enough these days, the early days (or nights) of Halloween became terror-filled, dreaded evenings in some parts of the United States. Youth and adolescents would often use Halloween night as an excuse to destroy property, riot and participate in "criminal mischief." Things grew so disruptive, that, in 1950, the Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Halloween be designated "National Youth Honor Day." It was during this event, that children who pledged to refrain from destroying property were rewarded with participation in a Halloween dance or party.

Halloween really gained momentum during the 1970s, during the LGBT movement. Costumes and the art of dressing up gave female impersonators freedom from their sexual identities. It was during this period that New York City’s infamous Village Halloween Parade was born. The annual parade is also billed as a street pageant, with more than 50,000 participants and two million spectators.

Then, in the 1980s, something happened. A magician named Chuck Martinez convinced his mother to help him finance a Halloween costume specialty pop-up shop in a local Sears store. The store generated almost $100,000 in sales, during its 35 days of existence. By the mid-’80s, there were more than three hundred Halloween-themed pop-up stores in the country. Martinez eventually sold his stores for $6 million dollars, ten years after he opened them. Today, Spirit Halloween Store dominates the holiday, with more than 1,000 throughout the United States. It is estimated that revenue from Halloween generates more than $8 billion dollars annually.

Locally, the Pacific Northwest is an ideal backdrop for Halloween. Cold, dark nights, rolling mist and quintessential Portland weirdness create the perfect vibe for Halloween events. Portland’s signature tagline, "Keep Portland Weird," is kept alive through one of the city’s signature events—this year, Portland’s historic Crystal Ballroom is hosting the 19th annual Portland Erotic Ball. The event features a full fetish demonstration stage, burlesque performances, aerialists, stilt walkers and contortionists. Plus, there is a cash prize of $5,000 for Best Costume.

Portland also hosts one of the area’s oldest Halloween events, from mid-September through October 31st, called 13th Door Haunted House. This event is among the best in the Northwest. If haunted houses aren’t your thing, there are many other events catered to those who plan on enjoying Halloween, including a long list of pumpkin patches and other seasonal harvest-themed attractions. One of the most notable is the "Davis Graveyard," a reconstructed real-life graveyard, hosted on Milwaukie, Oregon couple Jeff and Chris Davis’ lawn. According to the couple, they picked their home with the full intention of dressing it up every Halloween. This year will make the 20th year the couple has recreated the graveyard.

"It started when I was little," says the couple in PDX Monthly. "Living in Southern California, our family never did much for Halloween. But, one year, we went to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. I went through six times—in a row. Fast-forward to 2018 and there’s a semi-truck load of Styrofoam strewn all over our driveway and yard, more than 70 tombstones of all shapes and sizes popping up, one by one, in our half-acre lot and a backyard workshop, full of caution tape, ghost projections and LED lights, being dusted off for action."

The couple’s graveyard has attracted fans from all over the country. They now teach workshops on how to create Halloween-themed attractions. The Davis Graveyard opens October 1st. Check their website for the full schedule of events at DavisGraveyard.com.

And, who could resist visiting the town of St. Helens, which celebrates Halloween for the whole month of October? In the late 1990s, Disney filmed the movie Halloweentown in St. Helens. Afterward, the city decided it would keep the tradition of a month-long Halloween celebration, going from the beginning of October, through October 31st. The festival features bonfires, the lighting of the "Great Pumpkin," street performances, a paranormal convention and a hot rod hearse rally. For more information, visit DiscoverColumbiaCounty.com.