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Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back
thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had
many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From
the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to
the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.
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Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and
Northern France, lived the Celts. The Celts worshipped nature
and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. It was
"he" who commanded their work and their rest times, and who
made the earth beautiful and the crops grow.
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The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was
celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of
the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of
darkness and cold."
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On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and
stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes
would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests, would
meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were
considered sacred). The Druids would light new fires and
offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around
the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season
of darkness would begin.
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When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember
from their fires to each family who would then take them home
to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the
homes warm and free from evil spirits.
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The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced
"sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people
would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of
their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.
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During the first century the Romans invaded Britain. They
brought with them many of their festivals and customs. One of
these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their
goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around
the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule
the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman
Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.
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The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian
religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the
Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church
holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's
Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church
would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls
Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big
bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints,
angels and devils.
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But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget
their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people
continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona
Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays
mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even,
eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween.
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The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these
influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the
Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death,
and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day
and All Soul's Day.
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