Halloween's Origins

The word, "Halloween," is a shortened slang version of the celebration formerly known as All Hallow's Eve. It used to be called All Hallow's Even, and then was even further shortened. Up through the early 20th century, the spelling "Hallowe'en" was frequently used, eliding the "v" & contracting the word. November 1 is All Hollows Day (All Saints Day). Its a Catholic day honoring the saints. In the 5th century BC, in the lands of the Celts (Gaul), now Ireland, Scotland, France, summer ended on October 31. The Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits & seeds (the harvest), & the festival of the dead called Parentalia, are incorporated into the Celtic festival of Samhain. Pomona's symbol was an apple, hence candied apples & bobbing for apples has become related to Halloween. As Christianity spread throughout the world, Pagan holidays were either Christianized or forgotten. Costumes and gifts and bobbing for apples were preserved. Aspects of Roman religion were incorporated into Samhain over four centuries of Roman rule in Britain. Samhain was the God of the underworld in the ancient Pagan religions observed by the Celts (similar to modern day Wicca). The Celts of Ireland, Britain, and France divided their year into halves: the "light half,"(spring & summer) & the "dark half," (autumn & winter). Celts celebrated the end of the light half of the year with the festival of Samhain, observed during the October & November lunar cycle. Following the Roman conquest of Britain, Celts adopted the Julian calendar & fixed the date of Samhain's to November 1. The Celts believed that the border between this world & the world of the dead became a thin veil on Samhain, the longest & darkest night of the year. Samhain was a magical, dark night, the longest night of the year, therefore, spirits, benign as well as not so benign were permitted to pass through the veil into the world of the living. Ancestors were honored & invited home while negative spirits were scared off with masks & disguises as to not be able to identify the living from the dead. That is where costumes come from. Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies & slaughter livestock for winter stores, again the harvest. Bonfires were lit as part of the festival. I would assume this was to get warmth and light, and perhaps for protection from the darkness that crept in on this most magical eve.

Halloween was celebrated everywhere in Europe, so remember your ancestors this Halloween season!