Ghoulishly Retro: The Charm of Vintage Halloween Decorations
The annual Halloween and fall decorating tradition begins when the crisp autumn air arrives. Bright pumpkins, dried corn stalks, hay bales, scarecrows, and colorful fall leaves are seen on porches, doorways, and yards across communities. Along with the autumnal vibe, the scarier and more frightening Halloween decorations add a unique spooky touch. It's an annual tradition that most of us enjoy with little thought. But have you ever wondered where this seasonal Halloween décor originated from? One must delve back into history thousands of years ago to uncover the roots of Halloween decorating and its traditional symbols.
Quick History of Halloween
Samhain: Samhain was a significant festival for the Celts, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It fell on the evening of October 31 and continued through November 1. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, and spirits could roam the earth. To honor and appease these spirits, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes made of animal skins.
Influence of Christianity: In the 8th Century, the Catholic Church attempted to replace pagan festivals with Christian celebrations. Pope Gregory III declared November 1 as All Saints' Day (or All Hallows' Day) to honor all saints and martyrs. The evening before All Hallows' Day became known as All Hallows' Eve, which eventually evolved into Halloween.
All Hallows' Eve: The traditions of Samhain merged with Christian customs, and over time, Halloween blended pagan and Christian practices. The focus shifted from appeasing spirits to honoring saints and praying for departed souls.
All Souls' Day: November 2 was designated as All Souls' Day, a day to pray for all the souls of the deceased who were believed to be in purgatory. The observances of All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day became known as Hallowmas.
Celtic Influence in America: Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the Halloween tradition to North America in the 19th Century. Over time, it assimilated with other cultural practices, and Halloween became more of a community-centered holiday with games, parties, and festive gatherings.
Commercialization and Modern Traditions: In the 20th Century, Halloween became increasingly commercialized, with the emphasis shifting towards costumes, decorations, and candy. Trick-or-treating became a popular activity for children, where they would go from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "Trick or treat."
Today, Halloween is celebrated in various ways around the world. It retains some of its ancient roots, such as wearing costumes and lighting jack-o'-lanterns, while also featuring modern customs like haunted houses, costume parties, and horror-themed events. It has become a holiday enjoyed by people of all ages, and its history continues to influence its diverse and evolving traditions.
Dennison's Bogie Book for 1920
Halloween in the Early 1900s
During the early 1900s, adults primarily celebrated Halloween through fancy, themed parties. In his book "Death Makes a Holiday," David J. Skal explains that magazines of that time suggested party themes and decoration designs to throw the perfect Halloween party. The Dennison Manufacturing Company also made it easier for people to celebrate by offering paper décor, such as witch and black cat cut-outs and printed napkins, in 1912. According to TCPalm, creating an eerie atmosphere was achieved through dim lighting, glowing jack-o'-lanterns, and autumnal touches like fall leaves and corn husks.
The Dennison Manufacturing Company was established in 1844 and specialized in producing paper products. In the 1900s, they expanded their product range to include paper Halloween decorations, which became highly popular. To meet the demand, in 1909, they released their first Dennison's Bogie Book for Halloween, followed by a new edition in 1912. Except for the years during World War I, the Bogie Book was published every year until 1934.
Throwing the perfect party was an art form, and committing to a specific theme was a must. Popular themes included "Black Cat" and "Haunted House." However, some parties were more elaborate and focused, like the Egyptian-themed parties held around King Tut's discovery in the 1920s. These parties featured pyramid jack-o'-lanterns, gingerbread mummies, and puzzles to decipher. Separate parties were held for children in the afternoon, while adults enjoyed their festivities at night. Unfortunately, Prohibition put a damper on the fun, and adult Halloween parties disappeared without liquor.
The 1920s was the decade Crepe paper became all the rage for creating table settings and decorations, from faux flowers to Halloween costumes. Crepe paper was, and still is a very inexpensive yet durable material. Therefore, many would follow the commercial patterns of the time to create a witchy ensemble to layer over their slip dresses. By the 20s, much like fashion, Halloween costumes became much more exquisite and polished rather than spooky as in prior years. Transitioning from dressing up to the likes of ghouls, spirits, and animals, the Pierrot Clown was the most common costume of the 20s.
Halloween Mischief and Haunted Houses
American Halloween used to be more about tricks than treats. Halloween in Ireland was mostly about mischief, and this tradition quickly took root in early 20th-century America. On the night of October 31, kids and young adults enjoyed inflicting several pranks on their unfortunate neighbors. Jumping out and scaring people, ringing doorbells, throwing flour at men wearing black coats, rattling windowsills with wooden noisemakers called tick-tacks, making cabbage stink bombs, and stealing gates were harmless primarily shenanigans. Still, not everyone took kindly to them.
During the Great Depression years, pranks included: flipping over cars, tripping people, breaking windows, toppling telephone poles, opening fire hydrants to release floods, teasing the police, and setting fires. The destruction was so bad on October 31, 1933, that it became known as Black Halloween, and many cities were considering banning the holiday altogether.
Halloween attractions were created in the mid to late 1930s to provide a more wholesome reason to leave the house. The first haunted houses in America were built by local communities to keep children from engaging in destructive pranks. Often, multiple houses were involved, offering tours of spooky scenes in basements or attics. The effects were simple and homemade, such as painted cardboard cats, wet sponges, and hanging hairnets for tactile stimulation. Party pamphlets directed at parents in 1937 suggested that an effective haunt could include staged actors moaning and wailing in the dark.
Halloween Home Decorations Through the 20th Century
The Beistle Company, founded in 1900, started making paper Halloween decorations in 1920. Their decorations proved so popular that by 1928 Beistle was even making games for Halloween. It was in the 1930s that the Beistle Company introduced one of their most popular items, a jointed skeleton. Over the years, The Beistle Company made many of the Halloween decorations seen in classrooms across the United States. Moreover, the Beistle Company still exists today and is still owned by the Beistle family. They are now the oldest continuing manufacturer of party goods and seasonal decorations in the United States.
The tradition of decorating for Halloween gained popularity in the years following World War II, thanks to advancements in technology. One such advancement was the development of blow molding, a process inspired by glassblowing that involves creating hollow plastic shapes. 1938 Enoch Ferngren and William Kopitke invented a blow mold machine and sold it to Hartford Empire Company. However, it wasn't until later, when further technological improvements were made, that blow molding became more widespread. Eventually, in the 1950s, it began to gain popularity.
In 1957, Union Products Inc. hired Don Featherstone to create three-dimensional, blow mold decorations in the shape of animals. His second product, the pink flamingo, instantly became an extremely popular blow mold lawn decoration. Early in the 1960s, enterprising manufacturers started producing blow-molded Christmas decorations. Many companies, such as Empire Plastics Inc., Bernard Edward Co. (later known as Beco), Poloron Products, Dapo, and General Foam, took advantage of this craze.
It was in the mid-Sixties that blow-mold Halloween decorations emerged. Among the most popular were blow mold trick-or-treat buckets, but by the end of the decade, there was a wide variety of blow mold Halloween decorations. Jack o' lanterns, haunted houses, ghosts, and other decorations were being manufactured by the late Sixties. The outdoor decorations (and even some indoor decorations) almost always included a light inside so they could be seen at night. Blow mold Halloween decorations remained popular through the 1980s, although gradually, they would decline in popularity until recently, as they are making a comeback.
Ultimately, the 20th-century Halloween decor trends remind us that this bewitching holiday is more than just a night of fun and frights; it celebrates cultural heritage, creativity, and the enduring spirit of togetherness. As we embrace the future, we carry with us the ghosts of the past, forever shaping the way we decorate and commemorate the spookiest night of the year. So, whether it's a vintage-inspired display or a modern extravaganza, Halloween decor will always be a testament to our imagination and the magic that comes alive when the veil between worlds grows thin on All Hallows' Eve. Happy haunting!
