Halloween as a secular holiday
Although Halloween has religious roots, by the end of the Middle Ages the secular and the sacred days of All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day had merged. The Reformation essentially put an end to the religious holiday among Protestants, although, in Britain especially, Halloween continued to be celebrated, now as a secular holiday. Along with other festivities, the celebration of Halloween was largely forbidden among the early American colonists, although in the 1800s there developed festivals that marked the harvest and incorporated elements of Halloween. When large numbers of immigrants, including those from Ireland, came to the United States beginning in the mid-19th century, they brought their Halloween customs with them, and in the 20th century Halloween became one of the principal American holidays, particularly among children.
