Expert Describes Origins and Customs of Halloween

In Babylonian times, the day we now call Halloween marked the time when the dead came back to life, according to Colgate professor Anthony Aveni, an archaeoastronomist who specializes in the study of ancient rites, rituals, and customs.

Candy and costumes had nothing to do with the occasion that signaled the end of the harvest and conclusion of the Babylonian year, claims Aveni, author of "The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays" (Cambridge University Press " available online and in bookstores).

"The evolution of Halloween has moved from the serious to the ridiculous with trick-or-treating beginning only in the last century," says Aveni, whose work has been funded by prestigious organizations including the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation.

According to Aveni's research, over the centuries Halloween has held a significant place in many cultures and lands:

-- Alexandrian Egyptians laid out food for the dead and fastened oil lamps to the eaves of their houses to commemorate them.

-- Ancient Romans threw black beans at "spirits" in hopes that they would accept the beans instead of carrying off living family members.

-- The ancient Celts considered it a time when the gates between the living and the dead opened. Bonfires burned to attract dead relatives and to scare those who might do harm.

-- The jack-o-lantern also has Irish roots. A mythic Irishman who played tricks on the devil wandered with a hollowed-out turnip lit with a coal from hell, the predecessor to the carved pumpkin.

-- The Germans in 1000 A.D. called it Hallowtide or "Hallowmas."

-- Mexicans celebrate the Days of the Dead with both solemn and playful activities: feasts, picnics, as well as visits to graves.

-- America introduced the idea of trick-or-treating in 1939. Elaborate tricks superseded the collection of candy until after WWII.

"The anarchy of today's Halloween, a season that runs at least the entire length of the 31-day month, is a highly sanitized salute to consumerism," says Aveni.