bjgreen
There were some Halloween parties this year, but little else was happening (Image: New York Public Library)
By Betsy J. Green
Halloween was celebrated quietly in 1919 – the first Halloween after the war in Europe had ended. But folks did dress up for costume parties. At the home at 1336 Garden Street (the home is still here), “Ghosts were seen stealthily finding their way about the premises and a witch settled herself in one corner to read the future of every person who came her way. Goblins were there, and it is said that a black cat was seen which crossed the path of several of the guests. Strange and fantastic costumes were in evidence, and the 40 guests enjoyed the frolic to the utmost.”
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1918 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the fifth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at
Halloween originated in Ireland as the Celtic festival of Samhain around a thousand years ago, which is why so many of Halloween traditions – regardless of where you are in the world – are Irish! Halloween was originally a pagan festival called “Samhain,” meaning “end of summer.” Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought the holiday to the United States. The commercialization of Halloween started in the 1900s (would explain the 1919 Garden Street party) when postcards and die-cut paper decorations were produced. Halloween costumes started to appear in stores in the 1930s and the custom of ‘trick-or-treat’ appeared in the 1950s.