Old Halloween traditions that have all but vanished

By Laura Sampson

Halloween, like many holidays, has evolved. And with it, some of the traditions that once defined the celebration have quietly faded away. While modern festivities still capture the spirit of the holiday, there was a time when things were done a bit differently.

Halloween traditions that brought people together and added a touch of mystery and excitement to the season have mostly disappeared. They’re still remembered fondly by those who enjoyed them or the stories once told by people who loved them.

Let’s look back at some of these customs that helped shape Halloween into what it is today. Who knows? Some of these may even return, as everything old is eventually new again.

Once popular Halloween traditions

Do you remember any of these traditions and customs? Some may be more missed than others. Are all of these new to you, or are some familiar?

The school carnival

Once an event that so many students look forward to in schools, Halloween carnivals have become harder to find. Games, contests, snacks, bake sales, cake walks and more made these fun events worth attending. If you have kids at home and you’re looking for a fun simple evening, a carnival might be worth your time. If a school carnival is still happening in your area, take the chance to go, it will probably be worth it.

Homemade treats

Back in the day, neighbors were known up and down the street for the treats they handmade every year. Ranging from popcorn balls, caramel apples, cookies, taffies, brittles, candies and fudges. These classic Halloween treats are sorely missed now. You can still find recipes for them, but you probably won’t find them in a trick-or-treat bag.

The costume parade

These mainly took place in schools as a winding follow-the-leader parade. One class would start the parade in costumes and walk to the next classroom. When the parade wound its way through the other classroom, the students in that classroom would get up and follow along.

The parade would proceed through the school with each class getting up in turn following the leader. When the first class returned to their room, they sat down while the rest of the school parade went through to show off their costumes. Each class sat down once they reached their own classroom. It’s such a fun and easy tradition.

Some school districts have decided not to hold school on Halloween anymore. So the chance for kids to share their costumes in school is lost.

Simple costumes

Costumes were often modeled after folklore characters or occupations. Nowadays, costumes are much more complicated, often involving superheroes and heavily merchandised trends. Sure, there are outliers and simple costumes, but the majority of costumes these days are not.

Mischief night

This was the night before Halloween and it was exactly what you think. Thankfully for some of us, it has quietly faded into obscurity. If there’s any mischief to be made these days, it’s on Halloween itself. Let’s be clear, no adults are missing this one – no mischief on Halloween itself would be primo.

Soul cakes

In this tradition that predates trick or treating, people went to the doors of the wealthy offering prayers for the dead in exchange for cakes. The cakes were often more of cookies and were given as a payment for every prayer received.

Bobbing for apples

This old game seems to have come to an end. Weirdly no one seems to relish the idea of sticking their head in a bucket of water and trying to grab an apple. Was it the idea of all the other people thrashing around in the water with their mouths open that did this game in, or something else?

Carving turnips

Before anyone carved pumpkins for jack o’lanterns, the common vegetable to be carved was a turnip. Turnips make very nice lanterns; the light shines translucent through the turnip when it’s hollowed out enough. Big turnips make the best lanterns because they’re massive enough to hollow out. And they last so much longer than a carved pumpkin which seems to rot immediately.

Nostalgic traditions

Halloween has changed quite a bit over the years, and some of the traditions that once defined the holiday have quietly fallen away. While today’s celebrations and practices still capture the festive spirit, many old customs that brought people together or added a bit of mystery have mostly gone by the wayside.

But of course, one of the tenets of life is that all things old are eventually new again. And the cycle of traditions is always changing and evolving. So, who knows? Maybe these will also come around again. Except for mischief night, that one can stay gone.

Laura Sampson of Little House Big Alaska is on a mission to teach modern family-oriented home cooks how to make old-fashioned foods new again. She shares her passion for home cooking, backyard gardening and homesteading on her website and blog.