Americans are celebrating one of the most popular holidays of the year — Halloween. The National Retail Federation (NRF) says our country is expected to spend over $12 billion dollars on the holiday this year. While there is plenty of enthusiasm over Halloween, what does it mean for people born on this so-called ‘spooky’ day?
History of Halloween
Before digging too deep into the meaning behind those born on Halloween, it’s important to get the history of the holiday itself. It is celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition of putting on costumes and passing out candy originates from an ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. According to the History Channel, that was where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
Then in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Not long after, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The night before All Saints Day was also known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. After some time, Halloween took on a life of its own and included a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.
Americans spend big bucks
Today, the NRF says Halloween is one of America’s favorite holidays with average shopper spending $36.84 just on their Halloween outfit alone. That is over a 9% jump than last year. And overall this year, consumers plan to spend $108.24 on the holiday.
Being born on Halloween
There have been plenty of negative meanings associated with people being born on Halloween. Some of the old wives tales include Halloween babies possess special powers or that they are immune to evil spirits. And then there’s the association Halloween has with death and evil. Because of this negativity, a Yale University study found that fewer children area actually born on Halloween. And that women could subconsciously put off giving birth to avoid having their child on Halloween.
Whatever you may have heard, there are some more positive meanings tied to Halloween. If you were born on this holiday, you have something to feel happy about. See some of them are listed below as authored by Jorge Silva.
Source: Angelical Balance
Disclaimer: The meanings and beliefs in this article are not necessarily those of the article’s author. It is for general human interest and entertainment purposes only.
