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Halloween History and Origin

Iggy

By Iggy
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Iggy

Iggy

Posted
Posted

Just a few links, and a snippet from each one- do you have any to add?

Halloween History and Origin

Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.

Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.

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. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

Origin of Halloween

The Origin of Halloween: From Pagan to Christian

Other historians trace the origin of Halloween back to the ancient and enduring Christian tradition of celebrating the lives of Christian martyrs on the anniversaries of their deaths. When Pope Boniface IV reconsecrated the Pantheon in Rome on May 13, 609 AD, renaming it the “Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs,” he established that anniversary as a day of celebratory remembrance for all of the Church’s martyrs. Pope Gregory III later changed the date of remembrance to November 1 when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to “all saints.” November 1 became All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallow’s Day. The night before became All Hallow’s Eve (“Halloween” being a colloquial contraction of that phrase). While Halloween began as a localized celebration, Pope Gregory IV extended its observance to all of Christendom in the 9th Century AD.

Halloween: Myths, Monsters & Devils

However, there is nothing evil or devilish associated with Halloween. The original Samhian festival from the Celtic period celebrated it as a reunion with ancestors, as they believed their ancestors joined them in rejoice during celebrations. It was believed that the gates between the two worlds opened and dead friends and family crossed over in either direction. People who feared the encounter were the ones who had done something wrong and feared retaliation. It is popularly believed that the dead roamed the earth after dying until the next Samhain. In Mexico, Halloween is known as Los dias de los Muertos or the �Days of the Dead��. People make skeleton and skull toys and candies.

Generally_Me

Generally_Me

Posted
Posted

As an American of Scotch-Irish decent, that pretty much sums up what I know about Samhain :D Although there was/is a lot of attempted fortune telling, too. Something about the spirits of ancestors sharing their glimpses of your future. lol, I had a traditional Irish gal do my fortune 5 or 6 years ago...it hasn't come true yet. So that's why I say "attempted" fortune telling.

MrsAri

MrsAri

Posted
Posted (edited)

However, there is nothing evil or devilish associated with Halloween.

Halloween is my birthday, as well. I no longer celebrate Halloween, as my research has shown something other than what was posted above.

As for celebrating my birthday...I'm 39...again. ;p

Edited by GrandmaAri
bmy-

bmy-

Posted
Posted (edited)

Halloween is about as 'evil' as Christmas, Easter, etc. :rolleyes: I think these once-pagan practices make for some of the most fun times of the year..

Edited by bmy-
Maxel

Maxel

Posted
Posted

Christmas and Easter have both had Christian themes infused into them, and they become chances to set aside holidays to worship the Lord and commemorate pinnacle events in His life.

Halloween hasn't been co-opted into Christianity in the same way. It's a secular holiday that has become a chance to celebrate... whatever one wants to celebrate. However, the historical obsession of the occult with Halloween is disconcerting to me. A good friend of mine who dabbled in the Occult in his teen years (before he converted to Christianity) doesn't let his children go out on Halloween and hates the entire season because he knows the things that some people do to celebrate the forces of darkness.

Whatever its origin, it's become a largely benign holiday- except for the evil who rally around it.

Maxel

Maxel

Posted
Posted

Does anyone like it for the candy?

I do. :D Although I'm too old to go trick or treating, and the past few years few kids came around to trick or treat... I like the candy at trunk'n'treating.
Generally_Me

Generally_Me

Posted
Posted

Going off the presumption that: Samhain was something of a Celtic "Memorial day", Los Dias de los Muertos is a Mexican "Memorial day" and Halloween is as much a Christian (or at least Catholic) holiday as Christmas Eve is (as shown by the second link in the OP).

Did anyone click on the "Myths" link in the OP? Admittedly it didn't go into a lot of detail though.

GrandmaAri, I am curious, do you have any sources you can cite as to the different origin of Halloween? Iggy did ask if anyone has anything to add, as his links correspond with what I've grown up with and learned since, so I am curious.

Jena, I had a pagan friend in high school, he was cool with Halloween (mainly for the candy) being what it is today. Obviously he can't speak for all pagans, but he himself was cool with it.

hordak

hordak

Posted
Posted (edited)

Going off the presumption that: Samhain was something of a Celtic "Memorial day", Los Dias de los Muertos is a Mexican "Memorial day" and Halloween is as much a Christian (or at least Catholic) holiday as Christmas Eve is (as shown by the second link in the OP).

Did anyone click on the "Myths" link in the OP? Admittedly it didn't go into a lot of detail though.

GrandmaAri, I am curious, do you have any sources you can cite as to the different origin of Halloween? Iggy did ask if anyone has anything to add, as his links correspond with what I've grown up with and learned since, so I am curious.

Jena, I had a pagan friend in high school, he was cool with Halloween (mainly for the candy) being what it is today. Obviously he can't speak for all pagans, but he himself was cool with it.

I find it ironic how many "hard core" Christians have a problem with Halloween, (look for the house with the front yard littered in bible tracts) but have no issues with participating in the pagan rituals of Christmas and Easter.

I for one love the pagan rituals. Without them what is there, Lent.

Edited by hordak
Moksha

Moksha

Posted
Posted

"O HALLOW NIGHT"....now where is the barn fire feast? :)

Right on. I love barbecues, and having it right next to the barn would insure the meat was fresh!

The evening before 'all is hallowed' has a certain charming ring to it.

Trunk-or-Treat sounds rather harsh, does it not? Early Halloween tailgating sounds much better. ;)

We always hold ours in the gym. Have a soup potluck concurrently in the room right off the kitchen. I have assumed they hold it before Halloween, so that on Halloween the kids can go trick or treating as usual.

:bouncing::bouncing::bouncing:

MrsAri

MrsAri

Posted
Posted

Right on. I love barbecues, and having it right next to the barn would insure the meat was fresh!

The evening before 'all is hallowed' has a certain charming ring to it.

Trunk-or-Treat sounds rather harsh, does it not? Early Halloween tailgating sounds much better. ;)

We always hold ours in the gym. Have a soup potluck concurrently in the room right off the kitchen. I have assumed they hold it before Halloween, so that on Halloween the kids can go trick or treating as usual.

:bouncing::bouncing::bouncing:

Are you planning to dress up as a human for Halloween? :lol:

Guest Alana

Guest Alana

Posted
Posted

I'm all in favor of taking something questionable and taking out only the good parts for my own selfish use. This is why I love the internet so much!

I also like singing ring around the rosy, eat hot crossed buns, and when around my vegetarian friends enjoy a good hamburger.

pam

pam

Posted
Posted

I'm all in favor of taking something questionable and taking out only the good parts for my own selfish use. This is why I love the internet so much!

I also like singing ring around the rosy, eat hot crossed buns, and when around my vegetarian friends enjoy a good hamburger.

You rebel you. :P

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