Ancient Origins

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain
(pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland,
the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on
November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the
beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often
associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the
new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead
became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain,
when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In
addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the
presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or
Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people
entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were
an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark
winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the
people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic
deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of
animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes.
When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which
they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to
help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In
the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands,
two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic
celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans
traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day
to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of
Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into
Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is
practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands.
In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All
Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed
today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the
dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was
also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English
Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night
of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually,
Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2
All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to
Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as
saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of
All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

Well now Ghost I already new this, but then I am not Christian and do
know the real meaning of Halloween. A Blessed Samhain Too You All!!
Brightest Blessings!!

Ghost, thank you for doing your homework before you posted. As a
practitioner of Wicca of 17 years it is very nice to see that someone,
instead of bashing, did the homework on this holiday. It is greatly
appreciated and it was a wonderful Samhain here - thanks again for your
post. Blessed be! )0(

MOST CHURCH GOING PEOPLE R WEEK MINDED ANY WAYS!!

Hi guys and thanks. I'm not a pagan or wiccan, just really curious about
all religions I guess. I know you ppl sometimes insulted by the
Halloween stuff cause it paints an almost racist picture of the
religion.

Glad I could be educated about it though. I might like to find info
about Buddhism. Some Asian people that I have talked to don't seem to
want to talk about it for some reason.

Ghostrecon

Got JESUS?
His Name if ABOVE any name in the Heavens,
in the Earth and underneath the Earth!

Juliea. Only to a christian.

Juliea I agree as for the topic I knew and didn't care it's history I
build on the future