The Halloween Tree

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31 in the Western world and places influenced by the West, The word “Halloween” derives from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the day before the Christian feast of All Saints, which is celebrated on November 1 and commemorates all deceased persons who lived holy lives. However, a number of elements from pre-Christian folk religions have also influenced the modern celebration of Halloween, particularly the Celtic festival of the dead, known as Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). To mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, the Celtic peoples lit bonfires, donned masks, and made predictions about the future. In many ancient traditions, the souls of the dead were believed to be present on earth during this time of year and to mingle with the living. The modern practice of children donning costumes and masks and going trick-or-treating is believed to derive from the custom of poor people begging for food on Halloween.

Bradbury draws on many of these aspects of Halloween for The Halloween Tree, which could be described as a tribute to the holiday, as part of his exploration of The Difference but Connectedness of Cultural Traditions. In addition to highlighting the Celtic/Druid origins of Halloween, Bradbury goes back further to ancient Egyptian beliefs about the dead to illustrate humanity’s broader preoccupation with death and its relationship to the meaning of life.