Holiday Myths: Uncovering the True Origins Behind Our Celebrations

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Diwali – where do our holidays come from?

By Jaya Kirtane and Kathryn Shin

Art depicting diyas, the candles lit on the third day of Diwali. (Graphic source: Adobe Images)

As costumes are put on, lanterns are lit, and tables fill with seasonal feasts, familiar stories about Halloween, Diwali, and Thanksgiving resurface. However, these widely accepted versions often differ from the true histories behind these fall celebrations. 

Halloween is a day of fun for all ages. Children get dressed up as their favorite characters and receive many bags of candy. Many RHS students will celebrate Halloween by hanging out with friends, watching movies, and going to Halloween parties.  As children, we believe that Halloween is a time when ghosts and ghouls come out to haunt the town, but even once the magic fades away, the history of the day can be equally enchanting. 

Many years ago, the Celtic people started to celebrate a holiday called Samhain. This holiday took place at the end of summer and at the beginning of the harvest season.  This was an important season for farmers and Celtic families because it was the season where food could be plentiful or scarce. About 2,000 years ago, the Celts practiced the new year on November 1, right after the holiday of Samhain. On October 31, the people believed that the line between the living and dead blurred for just that night. According to ancient legend, ghosts haunted and played mischievous tricks on the living. Druids built bonfires and dressed up. This is why, today, children wear costumes on Halloween.  

The tradition of carving Jack O Lanterns during the Autumn season seems to be made up, with no history to it, but there is a story behind that tradition also. The story of Stingy Jack began this beloved tradition. Stingy Jack went out for drinks with the Devil and true to his name, did not want to pay the price of the drinks. He convinced the Devil to turn himself into money to pay for the things they had ordered. After Jack paid, he put the coins into his pocket with a silver cross next to the spare change so that the Devil could not get out. After some time, he let the Devil go on the condition that he would not take Jack’s soul and would not bother Jack for a year. The next year, the Devil returned, so Jack bet the Devil he couldn’t climb the tree, the Devil proved him wrong. Then Jack locked the Devil in the tree while carving a cross so that the Devil could not come down. The Devil said that if Jack let him out of the tree, he would not bother Jack for a very long time. Soon after, Jack died and God did not want to let him into heaven, yet, the Devil would not break his promise to Jack by letting him into hell after saying he would not.  So, God sent Jack a candle. Jack put that candle in a carved out turnip and has supposedly been walking around with it ever since. From this myth, the tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack O Lanterns arose in America. In Britain, they carve beets instead of pumpkins.

A holiday that is different from other autumn holidays is Diwali. Diwali is an interesting holiday because it is fully based on myths. There are many different myths that make up the holiday.  

The first day of Diwali is Dhanteras, which is a day of cleaning and purchasing silver and gold for good luck.  People do this primarily because of its auspiciousness. The myth behind this day is that Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, came out of the ocean and blessed the world.  People generally will clean to represent a new start. 

The second day of Diwali is Naraka Chaturdashi, which is the day that is devoted to Lord Krishna.  People believe he killed the evil villain Narkasura.  People also clean along with baking.  

The third day, Diwali, is the most popular day and the main celebration. Family and friends gather and eat a big feast together. Lamps, called diyas, adorn houses and streets. Many people also create rangolis: sand drawings on the ground. The myth behind this day is this: an evil demon called Ravana captured Rama’s wife Sita. Rama is a widely worshiped deity that represents chivalry and virtue.  His brother, Lakshman represents loyalty and Rama’s wife, Sita, is a reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. The third day is supposedly the day that Rama and Lakshman return with Sita, after fighting a long war to win her back. As they walk home, people light lamps to light their way.  This is where the lamp tradition comes from; the light symbolizes good over evil.  

The last two days are based on similar stories of good conquering evil. One is for spouses and the other is for siblings. All of the celebrations have a common theme of prayer to the greater power.  Many holidays in India are not based on factual history because people believe in myths that tell stories of good morals.

In the U.S., Thanksgiving is often remembered as the peaceful gathering of the Wampanoags and Pilgrims. However, the origins of this holiday are far from this perfect picture. Interactions between the two groups had much more to do with political alliances and diplomacy rather than the meaningful relationship people assume they had. After all, a feast shared between people with completely different cultures and customs was not a situation one might expect during that time period. Given the early connection between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims, it might seem like their relationship would have continued, but over time, the relationship weakened and did not maintain the same level of harmony. Evidently, after war had begun between the Native Americans and Pilgrims, Metacomet, a native american leader, was beheaded by the Colonists and thrown on a spike. The Colonists mocked and insulted the Native Americans far beyond the borders of what their relationship used to be. Additionally, long before the encounter with English settlers and the formation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, Wampanoags had been following seasonal traditions of giving thanks for generations. 

Exploring the real history behind holidays such as Halloween, Diwali, and Thanksgiving is essential for students’ cultural awareness and insight, allowing for more meaningful celebrations.

Works Cited

Goade, Michaela. “Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving | Helpful Handout Educator Resource.” National Museum of the American Indian, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/rethinking-thanksgiving. Accessed 20 October 2024.

“Halloween 2024.” Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions | HISTORY, 18 November 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#halloween-movies. Accessed 20 October 2024.

“How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth.” How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth | HISTORY, 25 October 2019, https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins. Accessed 20 October 2024.

Kaur, Harmeet. “Diwali, the Festival of Lights, explained.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/travel/diwali-festival-of-lights-explained-cec/index.html. Accessed 20 October 2024.

Stevens, HL, et al. “The Real History of Thanksgiving Is Darker Than You Learned in School.” Business Insider, 23 November 2022, https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-thanksgiving-2017-11. Accessed 20 October 2024.“The true, dark history of Thanksgiving – Potawatomi.org.” Citizen Potawatomi Nation, 25 November 2020, https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2020/11/25/the-true-dark-history-of-thanksgiving/. Accessed 20 October 2024.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *