| Did you ever stop to think as you dressed up on | | | | had celebrated a custom called souling. |
| October 31st where it all started? Why do kids go | | | | In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV |
| door to door trick or treating? Why do we dress | | | | proclaimed the 1st of November All Saint's Day. |
| in costume, party and parade in the streets? | | | | All Saint's Day was a day to honor Christian saints |
| Celebrating Halloween is an ancient tradition dating | | | | and martyrs and was an attempt by the church |
| back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of | | | | to replace the Celtic festival of the dead. This day |
| Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts were a | | | | was also called All-hallows and the Celtic Samhain |
| people who lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom | | | | became known as All-hollows eve...becoming |
| and the northern regions of France. The Celtic | | | | eventually Halloween. |
| people celebrated New Year on November 1st. | | | | In A.D. 1000, the church proclaimed November |
| They believed that on October 31st the day called | | | | 2nd All Soul's Day in honor of the dead. All Soul's |
| Samhain, the ghosts of the departed returned | | | | day was celebrated with bonfires and Christians |
| causing turmoil and hunting for a body to possess. | | | | walked their villages begging for soul cakes, |
| In order to trick the spirits the Celtic people would | | | | (currant studded pieces of bread). Every time a |
| dress up in masks or animal skins and heads | | | | beggar received a soul cake he promised to say |
| when they left their homes. They would run | | | | a prayer for the dead relatives of the person |
| through the streets destroying and causing | | | | who gave him the treat. |
| havocs in order to confuse the spirits. | | | | The modern Halloween celebration is a melding of |
| Samhain was also a time of sacrifice to the gods. | | | | ancient traditions and customs in honor of the |
| It was a day when the Druids erected large | | | | spirits of the departed. Dressing in costume to |
| bonfires and burnt crops and animals. The people | | | | confuse the spirits and causing mischief to |
| would gather around the fires telling fortunes and | | | | confuse the spirits. Parading the streets and |
| tales of the departed. When the new day dawned | | | | begging door to door in honor of the spirits. |
| the Celts would take torches lit from the bonfires | | | | Parties, bonfires, fortune telling and scary tales all |
| and light their hearth fires which they had | | | | these things circle back to ancient ways the world |
| extinguished before the celebration. This re-lighting | | | | over, to honor and appease the spirits. Each |
| was to help protect them during the cold and | | | | culture that entered the American melting pot had |
| dark days of winter. | | | | a way to honor the dead. When you dress for |
| The dressing up to confuse the spirits was | | | | Halloween this year to go partying, when the kids |
| brought to America by the Irish immigrants in the | | | | t.p. or bean your house, or when you hand out |
| 1840's. Parading in the streets in costume and | | | | treats to avoid the tricks, remember also the |
| begging at houses for treats were customs | | | | spirits of the dead. Honor the spirits and you will |
| brought from other parts of Europe where they | | | | have a safe and happy Halloween. |