“Trick or treat!” So goes the annual greeting from the candy-seeking children who arrive at our doors on October 31, Halloween night. But did you know that Halloween has been celebrated in Edmonton since the 1880s, and that the holiday’s roots go back even further? It’s true!
Origins of Halloween
Halloween’s origins are found in the ancient Celtic autumn festival Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). The mix of harvest, supernatural beliefs, and rowdy celebrations has given our modern holiday much of its character. By 1550 Samhain had been Christianized to become All Saints’ Day, observed on November 1. However, celebrations on the night before, known as All Hallows’ Eve, retained some pagan character. The term Halloween grew out of All Hallows’ Eve, and was in use by the mid-1700s.
Halloween in Canada
Largely considered a holiday for children, Scottish and Irish immigrants brought Halloween to Canada in the 1800s. As a non-religious, non-ethnic, and non-political holiday Halloween quickly became popular.
Between the 1880s and 1950 Halloween in Edmonton was characterized by pranking, trick-or-treaters, costumes, and parties. Although Halloween has changed in the past 65 years, these early elements are all still important parts of the holiday.
Bibliography
This bibliography is designed to situate the records used in the City of Edmonton Archives Halloween in Edmonton: 1900-1950 virtual exhibit in their larger context. It shows where these disparate records come from by grouping them by creator rather than by subject.
Wherever possible, links to catalogue entries in our online catalogue have been included. We also have some further catalogue information in our reference room.
For an explanation of terms and acronyms, see our Virtual Exhibit Glossary.
| Fonds Number | Record Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MS-224 | Ethel MacKenzie fonds | |
| MS-138 | Mrs. C. Charters fonds | |
| MS-59 | Hubert A. Hollingworth fonds | |
| EA-160-532 | Halloween, 1935 | |
| EA-160-1005 | Halloween Group, 1933 | |
| EA-160-3103 | "More Spooks", 1933 |
| Fonds Number | Record Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| RG-11 | City of Edmonton. Commissioners fonds. | |
| 7.3 File 201 | City Police Department Special Report re. Damage Done Hallowe'en Night |
| Record | Title |
|---|---|
| EB-23-32 | Boy & Girl in Halloween Costume c. 1915 |
| EA-600-523a | June Budnick taken to police headquarters after becoming lost on Halloween night, 1947 |
| EA-600-1624b | Halloween party for kids at Highlands Community League Hall, 1948 |
| EA-600-1624d | Halloween party for kids at Highlands Community League Hall, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625a | Halloween feature: Phillip Warner, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625b | Halloween feature: Elizabeth Rutledge, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625c | Halloween feature: Ivy Boureier, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625d | Halloween feature: Carol MacDonald, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625e | Halloween feature: Errol Marliss and W. Lamb, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625f | Halloween feature: Harvey Sawyer, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625h | Halloween special, 1948 |
| EA-600-1625i | Halloween special, 1948 |
| EA-600-3192c | Orphan Home Hallowe'en Party. Two children in costumes, 1949 |
| EA-600-3192d | Orphan Home Hallowe'en Party. Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, 1949 |
| EA-600-3192g | Orphan Home Hallowe'en Party, 1949 |
| EA-600-3192h | Orphan Home Hallowe'en Party: Dunking for apples, 1949 |
| EA-600-3192i | Orphan Home Hallowe'en Party, 1949 |
| EA-600-3214b | Hallowe'en feature, 1949 |
| EA-600-6051a | Halloween Hi-Jinks: costumed Richard Burkholder, Barbara McPhee, Barbara Short, Kathleen Wark, Sue Davies, Fae Wotherspoon and Clare Burkholder, 1950 |
| EA-600-6051c | Apple bobbing: Barb McPhee and Kathleen Wark, 1950 |
| EA-600-6051d | Jelly Bean Hi Jinks: Barb McPhee, Clare Burkholder, Fae Wotherspoon, Barbara Short and Kathleen Wark, 1950 |
| “Halloween Ball” Edmonton Bulletin, October 17, 1902 |
| “Society Assembles at the Macdonald to Commemorate The Festival of Hallowe’en” Edmonton Bulletin, November 1, 1911 |
| “Optimists Are Hosts At Gay Hallowe’en Party in Glenora” Edmonton Bulletin, October 31, 1929 |
| “Hallowe’en” Edmonton Capital, October 31, 1913 |
| “Boots and Her Buddies” Edmonton Bulletin, October 30, 1927 |
| “Trained Bees Protect Gate From Pranksters” Edmonton Bulletin, November 1, 1927 |
| “Tonight’s the Night! Edmonton Youngsters Preparing For Raids” Edmonton Bulletin, October 31, 1928 |
Blue Ribbon Cook Book by Blue Ribbon Limited c.1900
Table and Kitchen by Price Baking Powder Co., 1913
Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes & Masquerade by Phyllis Galembo. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2002.
Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night by Nicholas Rogers. Oxford University Press, 2002.
Halloween: Romantic Art and Customs of Yesteryear by Diane C. Arkins. Pelican Publishing Company, 2007.
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10440 108 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Email cms.archives@edmonton.ca