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A Halloween
History
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Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated
today. It is also one of the most popular holidays, second
only to Christmas. Some people view Halloween as a time for
fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having
theme parties. Others view it as a time of ghosts, goblins,
superstitions and evil spirits that should be avoided at all
costs.
Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back
to over 2000 years ago! Celebrated on October 31st, the last
day of the Celtic calendar, it was originally a pagan
holiday, honoring the dead. All Hallows Eve is the evening
before All Saints Day on November 1st, designated by the
Catholic church to honor their saints. |
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The Origin of Halloween
There are many versions of the origins
and old customs of Halloween by
different cultures but traditional
Halloween practices remain the same.
Halloween culture can be traced back to
the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland,
Britain and Northern Europe. Its roots
lay in the feast of Samhain, which was
celebrated annually on October 31st to
honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or
November. Samhain was then a harvest
festival with huge sacred bonfires,
marking the end of the Celtic year and
beginning of a new one.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead
roamed the streets and villages at
night. Since not all spirits were
thought to be friendly, gifts and treats
were left out to pacify the evil and
ensure next years crops would be
plentiful.
 The
American tradition of
"trick-or-treating" probably dates back
to the early All Souls' Day parades in
England. During the festivities, poor
citizens would beg for food and families
would give them pastries called "soul
cakes" in return for their promise to
pray for the family's dead relatives.
The distribution of soul cakes was
encouraged by the church as a way to
replace the ancient practice of leaving
food and wine for roaming spirits. The
practice, which was referred to as
"going a-souling" was eventually taken
up by children who would visit the
houses in their neighborhood and be
given ale, food, and money.
Aren't you glad our modern day
trick-or-treating involves costumes and
candy?!
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Article by: Deborah Sweigart
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