European Immigrants in Halloween History

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Ginny on behalf of Expert Village and I'd like to tell you a story. Come, travel back in time with me as we explore the brief History of Halloween. As early as 370 AD gangs of boys roamed the fields and villages of Ireland, blowing horns, chanting in voices that were disguised and blackmailing the local farmers who cheerfully gave up bread and money to these boys. These are the kinds of traditions that people brought with them when they moved from one country to another. Early American Halloween traditions were influenced by the influx of European immigrants over the years. By the early 1800's millions and millions of people from Europe had come to the U.S., particularly people from Ireland. The great potato famine in Ireland forced millions of Irish to leave behind their beloved homeland in search of food. Many people we're starving and they had no choice but to leave. Most of them managed to cross the ocean and come, eventually, to America. These Irish settlers brought with them their traditions, beliefs, and customs where they were mingled together, here in the U.S., with local customs as well as those brought by other recent immigrants from England and other European nations. What we have today is a result of many of these different customs that came to us from Europe. And, stay tuned for the History of Halloween, Chapter 12."