Origin of Halloween – Where it all started!
Hey all,
Even though I don’t celebrate Halloween personally, I know there may be a lot of confusion as to what it really means, or where it really started, or originated. I thought I would take the time to post the origin of Halloween for those that were wondering about it, like me.
To do this, I had to do some research, and this is what I found out….
Halloween, (or Hallow’s Eve) was originally started as a means to differentiate the changing seasons, but also as a means of mourning, or grief, over loss, and death.
In my research, I found a great article, and I will summarize/paraphrase it here, but I will also post it’s link at the bottom, so you can read it for yourself. The following information is re-written in my own words as a means of summary only, and was gathered from the article.
Halloween may have started with a feast given by the Celtic and Scandinavian peoples about 2000 years ago. This feast was called Samhain. This feast was celebrated around November 1st, (which is likely why Halloween is called “Hallow’s Eve” by some, as Halloween falls on October 31st, and not November 1st). This feast was basically a feast to bring in the winter season.
On this day in Irish history, tribes would gather to ward off attacks of evil spirits. There were sacrifices made, kings slaughtered, and bonfires.
Our fascination with Halloween and evil spirits, ghosts, demons, etc. May have started with this feast to welcome in the winter.
Another word for Halloween is, as many also know it as, “All Saints Day”. This was more of a Christian look at Halloween, when Christianity became the main religion of that time, which was around the time when the Romans conquered Britain.
Our look at Halloween isn’t really All Saints Day, but All Soul’s Day, the article further explains. On November 2nd, people would gather to mourn and pray for the souls of the dead, and was chosen on the day after All Saints Day so that the Saints could assist in the prayers. This was formed around 1000 AD.
On this special day, church bells were rung, food was left out, and lanterns were left burning in the windows, to welcome the lost souls, or spirits, back.
The article further states that possibly All Saints and All Souls Day was created by the Christians as a means of making holy a “pagan” holiday (Samhain), and then goes on to state some of the rituals different areas and lands had for rituals of death. Some poured milk on graves, some carved turnips on Hallow’s Eve, etc.
It was, however, a time of plenty, as well, as the harvest season was wrapping up and farmers were storing food for the winter months. It was then a ritual for people in authority to host parties, and entertain, and give food to the poor. (The article goes into more depth than I am able to summarize, but I found it interesting, nonetheless).
There is a whole section of the article that I am not able to summarize, that would be interesting to read. This is only a taste of what the article states.
The article goes on to further state how modern Halloween has it’s problems (and origins), and how Halloween was getting more and more dangerous, and then it wraps up quite nicely by saying that modern Halloween is a reflection on our values. What do YOU value? I personally don’t celebrate Halloween, but for those that do, I thought I would post a little research so that you will know WHY you celebrate it, and how it came about in the first place.
But, don’t take my word for it! There is a LOT of the article that I was not able to summarize, that you will just have to click on the link and read for yourself!
http://www.grandinroad.com/text/content/landing/halloweenhaven/_library/halloween_history.html
Happy reading! I know it’s a little late for Halloween, but as I came across this article, I just thought I would post it as an after-thought.
