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HISTORY
History of Halloween Well it all starts back in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in) about 2000 years ago. In the area that is now Ireland and the United Kingdom along with Northern France all celebrated New Year on November 1st, which was considered the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold, winter which was associated with human deaths. The night before New Year was the boundary between worlds of living and dead became blurred. October 31st the Samhain celebrated the ghosts of dead that came back to Earth and caused trouble and damaged crops. Celt thought presence of other worldly spirits made it easier fro Droid also known as Celtic Priests, make it easier to predict the future. People who were dependent on volatile natural world was a important source of comfort and direction during the winter. To celebrate Druitd built huge sacred bonfires where people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. In A.D. 43 the Romans conquered Celtics.
Some holidays traditions came from other holidays such as Honor Pomona where they commemorate the Roman goddess of fruit trees (symbol=apple) in which the tradition of "bobbing" for apples comes from. Also Feralia in late October to commemorate the passing of the dead. How did we get the name Halloween? In the 800's influence of Christianity started spreading to Celtic lands. The Pope Boniface IV dedicated November 1st to All Saints Day also called All- Hollows or All-Hallowmas to All-Hallows Eve finally to Halloween. Where'd we get traditions? In A.D. 1000 November 2nd was declared Soul's Day (honor dead) where they had bonfires, parades and dressing up (angels, saints, and devils). All together All Saints' and All Souls' is Hallowmas. Traditions today are trick or treating and dressing up to hide from ghosts.
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