Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain
(pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area
that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated
their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the
harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that
was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night
before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and
the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated
Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to
earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought
that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the
Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a
people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these
prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the
long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where
the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the
Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes,
typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell
each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their
hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the
sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory.
In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic
lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional
Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late
October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the
dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit
and trees. The symbol for Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of
this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of
"bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic
lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1
All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely
believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic
festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The
celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle
English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it,
the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and,
eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make
November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated
similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in
costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three
celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were
called Hallowmas.
To see more Halloween history, goast stories, etc., click "Ancient Origins" below.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN - have fun, be safe!!
