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Halloween - a haunted history spanning more than 2000 years
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Halloween can trace its roots back more than 2,000 years. Photo: max6942
In anticipation of the young Halloween ghouls who will be darkening my doorstep in Mount Dora, Florida, on All Hallows Eve, I began to wonder about the origins of Halloween and how did we get to where we are today. What are the origins of wearing costumes, trick-or-treating and jack-o'-lanterns? I set out on a haunted history tour of the true meaning of Halloween and here's what I found. Be sure to see slide show at the end.
Did you know that Halloween can actually trace its roots to customs dating back to more than 2,000 years ago? Also known as "Samhain" (pronounced Sow-in or Sow-an), "All Hallows Eve,", "Witches Night," "Snap-Apple," and "Lamswool," Halloween began with pagan rituals and through the ages and influences of many a culture, has evolved into the traditions of Halloween that we celebrate around the world today.
Beginning more than 2,000 years ago, the Celtic festival known as "Samhain" which means "summer's end," was celebrated by the Celts who resided in Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. Samhain marked the end of summer and of the harvest season – representing life; and the beginning of the long, dark winter – representing death; thus connecting the cycles of the seasons with the cycles of life and through this connection, it was believed that on this night, October 31, the veil between life and death became delicately thin.
The Celts believed that it was on this night that Saman, the Lord of the Death, called forth the spirits from those who died that year, to walk the earth along their journey to the afterlife. En-route, the spirits would often stir up trouble and mayhem for the living by destroying crops and causing disturbances. To protect themselves from these roaming troublesome souls, the villagers would disguise themselves as ghouls so the spirits whom they feared, would pass them by. They also offered food and wine to the souls and to Saman in hopes he would judge the souls less harshly along their journey to the afterlife. Hence, the traditions of wearing costumes and giving candy were born. Also on this night, Celtic priests or Druids attempted to divine the secrets of the afterlife and of the future by creating huge bon fires and making sacrificial offerings to Saman, who would then rule the world for the next six months.
After the Romans conquered much of the land from the Celts, the Celtic traditions were integrated into Roman traditions and thus the Festival of Pomona, the Roman goddess of the harvest, was born. This festival also celebrated the end of the harvest particularly with nuts and apples which were used to divine the future of one's spouse since the apple represented love and fertility. This is why we bob for apples.
When Christianity arrived, the traditions changed yet again. In an effort to convert the pagans to Christianity as smoothly as possible, the Church knew that they had to blend their beliefs with those of Christianity. Actually, it was Pope Gregory III who moved "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day," the latter from England, from May 1 to November 1 to honor the pagan traditions. October 31, the eve of "All Hallows Day" became "All Hallows Eve" or "Hallowe'en" and then finally, "Halloween." Later, a French order of the church declared November 2 as "All Souls Day" so ALL souls of the departed, not just Saints, would be remembered at this time of the year. Collectively, all three days, October 31 – November 2, would become "Hallowmas."
Other changes that Christianity brought about were prayers for the dead in lieu of sacrifices. And instead of appeasing the spirits with food and wine, the Church encouraged the congregations to carry hollowed out turnips lit by candlelight to represent a soul trapped in purgatory with prayers for the dead in exchange for "soul cakes." Other changes through time included those of the Protestants who brought about scarecrows and mischief night, elements of the Guy Fawkes Night festivals that Britons still celebrate today.
As you see, it was the integration of many cultures that has influenced the Halloween traditions we celebrate around the world today. So the next time you're out trick-or-treating or donning that Halloween costume or carving out that jack-o'-lantern, you can think about these time-honored traditions that have remained within the fabric of society for over 2,000 years.
Happy Halloween!
Something to think about during this spooky time of year. Is Mount Dora haunted? Ghost Tracker TV seems to think so.
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