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Halloween History
The
History of Halloween began with the Celts back over 2000
years ago.
In
the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and
northern France, the Celts 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. This
is 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 dead and the living overlapped.
On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain. During
Sambain, it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned
to earth.
These
ghosts caused trouble and damaged crops. But the Celts
also believed that the presence of the otherworldly spirits
made it easier for the Celtic priests to make predictions
about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the
changing natural world, these prophecies were an important
source of comfort and direction during the long, dark
winter.
Druids
(Celtic priests) as a part of this event, built huge sacred
bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and
animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the commemoration, the Celts wore costumes, typically
consisting of animal heads and skins, and told each other's
fortunes. At the end of the celebration, the Celts re-lit
their hearth fires from the sacred bonfire to help protect
them during the coming winter.
Romans
had conquered the majority of Celtic territory by A.D.
43. In the course of the 400 years that they ruled the
Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined
with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
By
the 800's, 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)
The
night before All-hallowmas, 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.
Today,
Halloween may have lost much of its pagan and religious
connotations but much of the symbolism still remains.
Evil spirits, ghosts, goblins, devils and demons still
come out at night though mostly to knock at your door
and ask for candy. Like Cinco de Mayo on May 5, the Spanish
holiday for Day of the Dead, Halloween also offers a time
for the dead to come out and play. Will you be ready,
Muuuuaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaaaa!
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