Halloween History and Tradition
Did you ever stop to think as you dressed up on October 31st where it all started? Why do kids go door to door trick or treating? Why do we dress in costume, party and parade in the streets? Celebrating Halloween is an ancient tradition dating back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
The Celts were a people who lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the northern regions of France.
The Celtic people celebrated New Year on November 1st.
They believed that on October 31st the day called Samhain, the ghosts of the departed returned causing turmoil and hunting for a body to possess.
In order to trick the spirits the Celtic people would dress up in masks or animal skins and heads when they left their homes.
They would run through the streets destroying and causing havocs in order to confuse the spirits.
Samhain was also a time of sacrifice to the gods.
It was a day when the Druids erected large bonfires and burnt crops and animals.
The people would gather around the fires telling fortunes and tales of the departed.
When the new day dawned the Celts would take torches lit from the bonfires and light their hearth fires which they had extinguished before the celebration.
This re-lighting was to help protect them during the cold and dark days of winter.
The dressing up to confuse the spirits was brought to America by the Irish immigrants in the 1840's.
Parading in the streets in costume and begging at houses for treats were customs brought from other parts of Europe where they had celebrated a custom called souling.
In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV proclaimed the 1st of November All Saint's Day.
All Saint's Day was a day to honor Christian saints and martyrs and was an attempt by the church to replace the Celtic festival of the dead.
This day was also called All-hallows and the Celtic Samhain became known as All-hollows eve...
becoming eventually Halloween.
In A.
D.
1000, the church proclaimed November 2nd All Soul's Day in honor of the dead.
All Soul's day was celebrated with bonfires and Christians walked their villages begging for soul cakes, (currant studded pieces of bread).
Every time a beggar received a soul cake he promised to say a prayer for the dead relatives of the person who gave him the treat.
The modern Halloween celebration is a melding of ancient traditions and customs in honor of the spirits of the departed.
Dressing in costume to confuse the spirits and causing mischief to confuse the spirits.
Parading the streets and begging door to door in honor of the spirits.
Parties, bonfires, fortune telling and scary tales all these things circle back to ancient ways the world over, to honor and appease the spirits.
Each culture that entered the American melting pot had a way to honor the dead.
When you dress for Halloween this year to go partying, when the kids t.
p.
or bean your house, or when you hand out treats to avoid the tricks, remember also the spirits of the dead.
Honor the spirits and you will have a safe and happy Halloween.
The Celts were a people who lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the northern regions of France.
The Celtic people celebrated New Year on November 1st.
They believed that on October 31st the day called Samhain, the ghosts of the departed returned causing turmoil and hunting for a body to possess.
In order to trick the spirits the Celtic people would dress up in masks or animal skins and heads when they left their homes.
They would run through the streets destroying and causing havocs in order to confuse the spirits.
Samhain was also a time of sacrifice to the gods.
It was a day when the Druids erected large bonfires and burnt crops and animals.
The people would gather around the fires telling fortunes and tales of the departed.
When the new day dawned the Celts would take torches lit from the bonfires and light their hearth fires which they had extinguished before the celebration.
This re-lighting was to help protect them during the cold and dark days of winter.
The dressing up to confuse the spirits was brought to America by the Irish immigrants in the 1840's.
Parading in the streets in costume and begging at houses for treats were customs brought from other parts of Europe where they had celebrated a custom called souling.
In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV proclaimed the 1st of November All Saint's Day.
All Saint's Day was a day to honor Christian saints and martyrs and was an attempt by the church to replace the Celtic festival of the dead.
This day was also called All-hallows and the Celtic Samhain became known as All-hollows eve...
becoming eventually Halloween.
In A.
D.
1000, the church proclaimed November 2nd All Soul's Day in honor of the dead.
All Soul's day was celebrated with bonfires and Christians walked their villages begging for soul cakes, (currant studded pieces of bread).
Every time a beggar received a soul cake he promised to say a prayer for the dead relatives of the person who gave him the treat.
The modern Halloween celebration is a melding of ancient traditions and customs in honor of the spirits of the departed.
Dressing in costume to confuse the spirits and causing mischief to confuse the spirits.
Parading the streets and begging door to door in honor of the spirits.
Parties, bonfires, fortune telling and scary tales all these things circle back to ancient ways the world over, to honor and appease the spirits.
Each culture that entered the American melting pot had a way to honor the dead.
When you dress for Halloween this year to go partying, when the kids t.
p.
or bean your house, or when you hand out treats to avoid the tricks, remember also the spirits of the dead.
Honor the spirits and you will have a safe and happy Halloween.
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