If it weren’t for the wave of immigrants fleeing the Irish Potato Famine, we probably wouldn’t have Halloween in America.
By the middle of the 19th century, some pockets in America celebrated a mild form of Halloween – including telling ghost stories, causing mischief, and just generally acknowledging autumn.
But Ireland’s devastating Potato Famine that started in 1845 caused mass immigration – more than 1.5 million Irish people fled to America during that time. With them, they brought their long-held Halloween traditions, and the soon-to-be holiday caught on quickly, spreading nation-wide.
