A Short History of Halloween and the Tocobaga Indians

Halloween is an evening celebrated by people of allThe legend of Halloween comes from thousands
faiths especially children dressed up as ghosts andof years ago. The Celtic people of Western
skeletons. Halloween is a historical celebration heldEurope particularly the British Isles and Western
in evening and night of the 31st October everyFrance believed that on the last day of summer,
year. When talking about history, a unique tribe ofthe barriers between the living world and the
Native American people lived in the vicinity ofkingdom of the dead would open allowing spirits
Tampa Bay in Florida called the Tocobaga Indians.and saints to pass among the living. Evil spirits
The history of Halloween has a lot of meaningwould scare people from door to door and
Halloween which has been almost lost as weunlucky person who was caught would be taken
celebrate our modern version but its roots are stillback to the kingdom of the dead. It was a
well known making a great story for childrenterrifying night and people lighted great fires and
before they set off on their mission to frightenoffered sacrifices calm down the evil spirits until
and entertain.the barriers had closed again the next day.
The Tocobaga Indians were actually a maritimeA symbol of Halloween is a hollowed out pumpkin
tribe who survived on fish and whatever theycarved into a scary face with a candle lit inside
could hunt in the locality or trade with distantgiving it a scary look. This pumpkin is known as
tribes. They were a highly developed tribe with aJack o' lantern. This was a favorite tradition that
social structure based around chiefdoms withstarted in USA spreading to other parts of the
institutionalized social inequality between variousworld. Halloween changed in the 19th and 20th
classes which were similar to the caste system ofcenturies from a religious celebration to an annual
other cultures like the medieval Europe and Hinduholiday.
India.