Halloween and It's Ancient Origins

The Halloween custom has come a long wayencouraged families to do this instead of leaving
from its origins in Celtic Ireland, transforming fromout food during the night. The church wanted to
people celebrating a serious Pagan holiday into acurb non-residents from entering the city and
fun, kid-friendly holiday. The history of thetaking advantage of the free food. These were
Halloween custom probably won't end until thethe origins of trick-or-treating.
holiday itself dies out -- and that isn't going toWhen Europeans immigrated to colonial America in
happen anytime soon.the 1700s they brought the tradition of
The ancient origins of the Halloween customSamhain-inspired Halloween. Halloween wasn't
originates from 2,000 years ago, from a sacredcelebrated openly at first because Christians
Celtic festival called Samhain. Samhain was anbelieved it was a pagan holiday, but it was openly
important festival in Celtic culture, celebrating thecelebrated in Maryland. The meshing of different
end of a year, and representing the final harvestethnic groups, including the Native Americans,
for farmers. Since Samhain signified the end of acreated a new form of Halloween, closely
year, Celts also associated it with human death.matching modern America's version of Halloween.
They believed that on the night of October 31stThe first official celebrations included public events
the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle withcelebrating the last harvest, where people would
the living, because at Samhain the souls of thosetell stories of the dead, read each other's
who had died during the year travelled into thefortunes, and dance. Halloween didn't truly become
otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals,a holiday until the 1800s, when an influx of
fruits, and vegetables during this occasion. Theyimmigrants moved to America.
also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid themThe celtic custom of Halloween surged into
on their journey, and to keep them away fromAmerican tradition in the 1840's by Irish
the living. On that day all manner of beings wereimmigrants fleeing their country's potato famine,
considered to be in attendance, ghosts, fairies,transforming into today's version of this popular
and demons. They also believed it made it easierholiday. At that time, the favorite pranks in New
for Druids to make predictions about the future.England included tipping over outhouses and
Christianity had spread into Celtic territory by theunhinging fence gates. The custom of "trick or
800s. In an attempt to eradicate Samhain, Popetreating" is thought to have originated not with
Boniface IV made November 1 All Saints' Day,the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European
making the Celtic festival a church-approvedcustom called "Souling". On November 2, "All Souls
holiday. All Saints' Day was also called All-hallowsDay", early Christians would walk from village to
or All-hallowmas, and the night before All Saints'village begging for "soul cakes," made out of
Day was called All-hallows Eve. In the year 1000square pieces of bread with currants. The more
the Catholic Church made November 2 All Souls'soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more
Day, a day to honor the dead. It was very similarprayers they would promise to say on behalf of
to Samhain because they also lit huge bonfires.the dead relatives of the donors. These were the
Christians would usually light big bonfires, dressedorigins of modern America's trick-or-treating
up in Halloween costumes (such as a saint ortradition.
devil) and have parades, honoring the dead.All-hallows Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day
During the celebrations, poorer residents beggedwere celebrated for many centuries, collectively
for food. Families would give these residents soulcalled Hallowmas. This holiday eventually turned
cakes, a type of pastry -- but only if they prayedinto what we know today as Halloween. Happy
for their family's dead relatives. The churchHalloween!