Halloween at Cannactiva: History, Meaning, and all our Campaigns

Cada otoño, Cannactiva se transforma para celebrar Halloween, una fecha mágica que conecta con el nuevo ciclo. Mientras la naturaleza entra en reposo y el ciclo de la vida se renueva, Halloween nos recuerda la conexión entre lo visible y lo invisible, la luz y la oscuridad, la vida y la muerte.

Año tras año, celebramos este momento del año recordando sus raíces ancestrales con las mejores ofertas en CBD de Halloween.

If the Halloween atmosphere inspires you as much as it inspires us, here you will find information about the origins of Halloween, and the different thematic designs, illustrations and some commemorative packs that we have launched each year to honor this holiday.

At Cannactiva, we experience Halloween as an opportunity to create something special. We delve into the ancestral meaning of this tradition to give life to unique creations, always in collaboration with local artists, that inspire Cannactivists with the beauty and magic of this time of year, remembering and reinterpreting its ancestral roots and its deepest meaning.

Halloween: Origin and Meaning

Autumn, known by authors as the season of the soul, unfolds its golden and crimson tapestry through the forests, while the nights slowly lengthen. We are approaching the Halloween holiday.

Halloween, which has its origins in Samhain, was a Celtic festival that marked the end of the harvest. It was a time of introspection, connection with the earth, and gratitude for the harvest.

The Celts believed that, at this time of year, the veil between the world of the living and that of the spirits became thinner, allowing souls to return to be remembered and honored. Due to the belief that these days the veil between worlds becomes thin, games to guess the future or communicate with the afterlife with candles, letters, nuts or apples are traditional.

In the Celtic Samhain, bonfires were lit to guide the spirits. Currently in Mexico, altars are set up to celebrate life, the “Day of the Dead”, and in many places in Europe, pumpkins illuminate homes as a symbol of protection and renewal.

Cannactiva Halloween: our CBD Campaigns on Halloween

Halloween has its roots in natural cycles, in renewal, and in the energy of the changing season. It is the moment when summer fades and a more introspective stage begins, marked by calm, reflection, and transformation. As the poets say, autumn is the season of the soul.

Connecting with the rhythms of nature is essential for well-being, which is why, every year we like to celebrate this moment with you with unique proposals: visual campaigns, promotions and experiences with the festive spirit of Halloween:

Origin of the name “Halloween”.

With the expansion of Christianity, some Celtic traditions such as Samhain were seen as pagan, and began to merge or dilute with the prevailing religion, Christianity, which was expanding throughout Europe. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day, and the eve of this day, October 31, became what we know today as Halloween.

In English, “All Saints’ Eve” translates as All Hallows’ Eve, which over time, gave rise to the name we know today as “Halloween”.

Halloween Traditions and Symbols

Have you ever wondered what is the real meaning of Halloween, and all the folklore surrounding it, such as costumes, trick-or-treating, or pumpkins?

As explained, the Celts linked this time of year to death and the spiritual world. They believed that, during the night of Samhain, the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead became thinner, allowing spirits to return to the earthly world.

This belief gave rise to fire rituals, offerings, games to guess the future and celebrations intended to honor ancestors and protect the living, traditions that over time would evolve into what we know today as Halloween, full of symbolism and connection with nature:

• Lighting bonfires and candles, to guide spirits in the darkness and keep the light alive. These bonfires probably also served as a gathering point for communities, a time to share stories and reminisce about ancestors. Over time, bonfires have evolved into the subtle and contemplative light of candles, which are still lit on Halloween to remember, honor and illuminate those who are gone.
• Honoring ancestors, with flowers, photographs and candles lit in their memory.
• Dressing up in costumes or masks, to go unnoticed among beings from the other world. Costumes of ghosts, zombies, witches, bats,…
• Decorating with the colors orange and black, symbols of the fire of the harvest and the night that announces winter.
• Carving pumpkins or turnips, creating Jack-o’-Lanterns that ward off evil spirits.
• Playing at guessing the future, with apples, nuts or candles, when the veil between worlds becomes thinner.
• Preparing food and drink as offerings, for spirits, fairies and the deceased.
• Celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for abundance, before the winter rest.

Trick or treat?

There are several theories about the real origin of trick-or-treating. One version says that, on Samhain, the Celts left food outside, to appease the souls that wandered that night. It could be that the tradition evolved, and people began to dress up in costumes to order food.

Another interpretation is linked to the practice of “guising”, a Scottish variant of “souling”. In medieval times, children and adults would ask for food and coins in exchange for blessings for souls on All Souls’ Day, which was called “souling”. In exchange for prayers, soulcakes and other offerings were given. Later, it evolved into practices such as “guising”, a version in which, instead of praying, games, jokes, songs or tricks were played, giving rise to today’s trick-or-treating.

What is a contemporary “invention” is Halloween candy. It seems that in the past they used to give fruits, nuts (let’s not forget that it is the end of the harvest season), coins or toys. It was in the mid-twentieth century when companies saw in this holiday the opportunity to sell candy, which marketing turned into the most desired tribute.

“Jack-o’-Lanterns”

Making lanterns out of empty pumpkins, known as “Jack-o’-Lanterns,” has its origins in an Irish folk legend about a man named Stingy Jack.

The story goes that Stingy Jack tricked the devil on several occasions, so that he could not take his soul to hell. However, when Jack died, he was not admitted to heaven either, due to his life of deceit and wickedness. Therefore, he was condemned to wander the Earth eternally. The devil, to taunt him, gave him a burning ember, which Jack placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to use as a lantern to guide his way in the dark.

Over time, this folklore became a popular tradition in Ireland and Scotland, where lanterns were made by hollowing out turnips, beets and potatoes, and carving fearsome faces on them to ward off evil spirits. When the Irish and Scots emigrated to North America, they brought this tradition with them. Pumpkins, native to America, were larger and easier to carve, so they began to be used instead of other vegetables, giving rise to the modern tradition of the “Jack-o’-Lantern”, made of pumpkins.

Bats, Owls, Black Cats and Spiders

The nocturnal animals most associated with Halloween, such as bats, black cats, owls and spiders, have accompanied this holiday since ancient times. Their presence in this tradition combines natural observation, superstition and a deep symbolism, which has endured through the centuries.

The bonfires lit on the ancient festival of Samhain attracted insects, which in turn attracted bats. Therefore, bats could have been very present during these celebrations.

In the Middle Ages, bats and black cats were associated with witchcraft. It was said that witches could adopt their form to move between the two worlds. The black color of these animals reinforced this symbolism: it represented death, darkness and the transforming power of the occult.

Owls, in addition, have been seen since ancient times as guardians of knowledge and messengers from beyond. Their silent flight and penetrating gaze made them symbols of wisdom, but also of omen. In the psychology of Carl Jung, the owl can be interpreted as a manifestation of the unconscious that observes and understands without being seen, an image of the inner consciousness that emerges in the darkness.

On the other hand, spiders are enigmatic animals, to which have been attributed meanings such as the idea of destiny, as weavers of the web of life. Its web represents the interconnection of all beings and the patience of natural cycles. For Jung, all these animals evoke archetypes of the shadow, the hidden aspects of our psyche that demand recognition. In this sense, the symbols of Halloween are not only emblems of fear or superstition, but bridges towards the integration of the unknown.

These associations, reinforced by centuries of folklore and superstition, have led to these animals becoming symbols of witchcraft and Halloween, and all that surrounds this holiday.

In short…

If you thought Halloween was just a commercial holiday of costumes and candy, we hope you will now look at it with different eyes. The festival also holds, like all traditions, an ancestral wisdom, connected to the rhythms of nature, which invites us to look inside it with respect and curiosity.

We hope this has fascinated you as much as we like to share it. We wish you a Happy Halloween, Cannactivist.

May the Peace be with UUuuuuuhhhh!!!