What is Halloween, The History and Origin?
There are a lot of holidays being celebrated all around the world and each of these is uniquely different from each other. In addition, when you hear of holidays, the first thing that comes up to your mind is none other than fun, happiness and excitement. Celebrating holidays is indeed one of the best ways of how to spend quality time with the whole family and even with friends.
Countless holidays are made available for everyone and one of the most celebrated one is Christmas but don’t you know that aside from this season of gift- giving and sharing, there is another one that people are very familiar with? And what do you think is this? This is none other than Halloween.
Maybe almost all of you love Halloween and have the excitement of celebrating it with your friends every year. Halloween is another famous holiday where individuals look forward to celebrating. All walks of life from children to teenagers and even adults are enjoying when it is Halloween. It is again the time to spread spookiness, horror and release the zombies within you.
But is there a time in your life when you’re all alone that a sudden question blinked in your head and this is what is the real origin of Halloween? Where does it originate and what is its history? To help you in answering these questions and other queries of yours, in our article here we will discuss the origin and history of Halloween that will definitely satisfy your hungry minds for facts.
History of Halloween
When it is Halloween, the children and teenagers wear colorful, spooky costumes. Most of them are likely portraying their favorite horror characters that they see on television, comics or in novels. But another thing that makes this holiday stands out and this is the “trick or treat”. This is by going house by house to collect goodies and delicious candies until you are full and content.
However, Halloween was not that fun during the ancient times compared to now because it is said to be a serious and important day for the groups of people who are non- Christian thousands of years ago. To make things clearer, this history of Halloween is provided to you stating that this specific holiday has encompassed certain ancient beliefs where not just the world of the living existed but the world of the dead also does. Know more about it here.
Long before Christian era, Halloween was already known in Britain mainly with the Scots, Anglo- Saxons and Irish Celts. This was originally named Samhain wherein it is believed that the line separating the world of the living from the dead has became thin giving the freedom for ghosts and even spirits to wander in the human world. But where does the word “Halloween” come from? “Halloween” is clearly the shorter form of “All-hallow-evening”, a Gaelic name.
In the 7th century, All Saints’ Day was instituted by Pope Boniface IV in order to honor saints as well as the martyrs during that time. It is basically the replacement of the dead’s Pagan Festival. But during the reign of Gregory III, All Saints’ Day was moved to date of November 1 in 834 wherein before this date which is October 1 was made as All Hallows’ Eve later on called as the day for Halloween.
It was believed that during Samhain, spirits are free to wander or roam around the human world and this is basically the time where their magic are in its highest points providing them the chance to make contact with ordinary people. In addition, there is also a belief that by giving the dead the access or freedom to in the physical world in the special evening of Samhain, it is much likely making them more satisfied in returning to world of the dead.
Food offerings are made by the Celtic people in order to please the spirits mainly undergone so much suffering as well as violence. Celtic priests also do offerings such as sacrificing animals and even humans to gods. This has the purpose of evil chasing and taking away frightening spirits. They even build fires whenever the Celts make sacrifices to the deities of Celts in order to protect them from the harm by dead spirits.
The night of Samhain also calls for a divination occult practice done by the pagans used in determining the weather, crop expectations as well as the marriage context. Talking more about Samhain, this is basically a three- day celebration, three days before and three days after the date November 1. But the origin of it does not constitute the use of carved pumpkins or even the “trick or treat”. It is a mandatory that the whole society celebrate this holiday and are indulge to have fun during these days.
And when Romans came, the Samhain was not removed rather it was integrated in the different Roman festivals including Feralia and the festival which honors Pomona who is known as the fruit and trees’ Roman Goddess.
But when the Christian era existed, Halloween was later on integrated mainly in the practices of the Christians making it more Pagan- free. And as the years pass by drastically, Halloween evolved to what people know it in the present time.
World-Wide Celebration of Halloween
Halloween is not just celebrated in the United Stated of America but also celebrated in the different countries all around the world and is quite big in Ireland. However, each country has their own way of celebrating Halloween different how Americans do it.
European countries do celebrate Halloween but they prioritize more the value of their culture as well as traditions rather than concentrating to specified commercial events. Moreover, Halloween is also observed by the Belgian people but there is someone who refused in adopting this holiday and this is Gour-Lez-Pieton. They prefer celebrating their own adopted style of Samhain.
When it comes to France, Halloween is not that celebrated though it was adopted by the country during the 1990’s. Scottish people still practice the ancient rites in the pagan way where children are indulged to wear scary costumes and even receive candies from friendly neighbors.
Aside from these, there are still other countries celebrating Halloween. Each of them has their own way on how to make this day meaningful and fun for everyone. Halloween is indeed a great way of having fun not just with your family but also friends. Have a great one!