You might have bits and pieces, like most of us. Here in a nutshell is the condensed version of the history of Halloween.
Originally conceived as a holiday to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown, the holiday was celebrated on November 1. It was known by several names, including All Hallows Eve, All Hallowmas, All Saints, or All Souls Day.
The American version of Halloween owes its roots to the ancient Druid folk festival called “Samhain” (pronounced sow-in) which was celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. This was a feast of the dead which signified the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Magic and faerie activity were a big part of all this, and the Celts even had a God of the dead named Gwynn ap Nudd, and Arawn for the Welsh peoples. The Irish didn’t have their own death god. Many of the customs we now associate with modern day Halloween are actually remnants of Druid traditions as well as their Roman conquerors.
Samhain was a three day festival in which the dead were to be celebrated and revered, and in fact communicated with during their journey to the other side. It was not so much an occasion of dread and death as it was about communing with one’s lost loved ones. Of course, the ghostly connections with Halloween make perfect sense when viewed in this light.
It’s only been in modern times that fear and paranoia has played a role in Halloween activities. What’s your take on Halloween? What does it mean to you?
