These Welsh-speaking pagans marked the end of summer, their harvest season, with a celebration. Halloween is usually celebrated amongst family, friends and, sometimes, co-workers. Let us remind ourselves this fall that holidays hold within them an opportunity to reconnect to the past. Druids (Celtic priests) helped build and initiate these protective and cleansing bonfires. There are also reports of fortune-cookie-like favors being given out during earlier times. Throughout prehistory, ancient societies also remembered this time. The festival has all the trappings of evil. While this is disappointing for many, perhaps it’s a change we can embrace with open arms. To honor deceased ancestors and spirits, they offered freshly prepared cakes and food from their harvest bounty each year on October 31st and November 1st. This ancient form of playing pranks has taken shape as today’s trick-or-treating. Well, it turns out there is a true meaning of Halloween. This is also where Halloween gains its "haunted" connotations. Keep in mind the history of pumpkins and Celtic tradition while engaging in this fall family activity. Halloween means "All Saints Eve" or "All Hallows Eve". In looking within, we are able to understand the real meaning of Halloween and other popular festivals. For example, the somewhat heavy concept of connecting to the dead was replaced with the more lighthearted idea of telling the future. Here, we're sharing Halloween's origin and meaning in the hopes that it'll make your celebrations even more enjoyable. This Halloween, write a letter to your grand or great-grandparents acknowledging their blessings (and generational behavioral patterns). And just like that, thanks to these local hooligans, Halloween costumes became scary, spooky, funny, and creative all at the same time. It's here, it's here! Check out: How to Make Stuffed Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Peppers. Yup, Halloween 2020 is just about here! Up until the 7th century CE, All Hallow's Eve fell actually on May 13. As ubiquitous as Halloween celebrations are throughout the world, few of us know that the true origin of Halloween is a ceremony of honoring our ancestors and the day of the dead. It's a lot older than you might think! Amidst each year’s trick-or-treating, candy overload, and haunted house visits, have you ever wondered why we actually celebrate Halloween? Halloween's origin can be found in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced saw-en, meaning 'end of summer'). More about us. The candy-grabbing concept also became mainstream in the U.S. in the early to mid-1900s, during which families would provide treats to children in hopes that they would be immune to any holiday pranks. This Halloween might not look anything like your typical witching day, as we continue to be in the middle of a global pandemic and a second wave where stricter guidelines will need to be adhered to. Current day Halloween is all about candy overload, single-use plastic costumes, Halloween décor, and so much more! It’s a great way to bond with the family and still be safe. The name itself derives from the archaic English phrase "All Hallows' Evening," referring to the Eve of All Saints. October 31, 2014 Updated: October 31, 2014. Halloween falls on October 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day. Around AD 600, Pope Boniface IV created All Saints’ Day, and Pope Gregory III later moved this holiday to November 1 in an effort to give a Christian alternative to this pagan celebration.5Christians who did not want to celebrate pagan festivals celebrated something of positive spiritual value—in this case honoring the saints and martyrs. Halloween: The True Meaning Today is Halloween. It is a celebration of endings and a time to honor the dead. John Lantsberger. Fuel for the Soul. All Hallows' Eve (October 31) and All Saints' Day (November 1) both paid homage to saints ("hallows" = saints). In truth, Samhain holds a rich spiritual significance, which somehow got lost over centuries. It was not until the Middle Ages that pumpkin lanterns really took off in Ireland. Many people were said to dress up as saints and recite songs or verses door to door. E very year, I refuse to carve our pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern until Halloween night. She worked in the healthcare industry for over 7 years, and was responsible for workflow management of clinical trials. For the Celts who celebrated their new year on November 1st, the day marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, the end of light and the beginning of darkness, the end of life and the beginning of death. Bobbing for apples, for example, became popular as a fortune-telling game on All Hallows' Eve: Apples would be selected to represent all of a woman's suitors, and the guy—er, apple—she ended up biting into would supposedly represent her future husband. This content is imported from {embed-name}. 2020 has been hard in numerous ways, and we get it! Nearly 2,000 years ago, in the pre-Christianity era, Celtics occupied most of Northern Ireland and France. Educate your tiny tots or friends about the pre-Christianity era through storytelling. But once Irish and Scottish immigrants began to arrive in America in greater numbers, the holiday made its way back into the zeitgeist. While it takes its name from All Saints' Day, modern Halloween is actually a combination of several different traditions. Halloween to most of us means candy, costumes and trick-or- … And as for the witches and wizards that you've come to associate with it? Read More, How to Make Stuffed Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Peppers, intergenerational family thought patterns, Meditative Cooking: A New Perspective on A Daily Habit, Our Editorial Team’s Must-Have Summer Essentials, Daily Reminders: DIY Your Own Affirmation Cards, 5 Ways to Practice Daily Gratitude & Why It’s Important. They're part of the story, too. ANSWER: Christian History of Halloween – The Origins Halloween began to evolve as early as AD 270 from the Celt’s culture in Ireland who practiced a special costume party event the night before their annual feast of “Samhain,” which had a two-fold purpose. Samhain was also when the community participated in bonfires, celebrated the abundance of harvest, and expressed gratitude to the ever-giving Gaia. During the entire month of October we drive past front porches and stoops, all of them seemingly riddled with grinning jack-o’-lanterns. As each season of 2020 rolls in, we as a human race, in many ways, are reverting back to ancient practices. By Barbara Biziou. Are Ghosts Real? Halloween obviously remains a popular holiday in America today, but it actually almost didn't make it across the Atlantic. The holidays are all about tradition. A good Christian might think that … The mystical rituals of earlier times evolved into more lighthearted fun and games. What Exactly is the Real Meaning of Halloween? It's estimated that by the early 20th century, Halloween was celebrated across North America by the majority of (candy-loving, costume-wearing) people. October 31st is right around the corner. It's here, it's here! Halloween’s true meaning is present in every origin story and across every cultural difference. Dressing up as Demons, Ghosts or Witches attracts Evil spirits. Don’t forget to read 5 Ways to Celebrate Halloween to learn how you can do Halloween differently this year! Remember, this year, when you hand out sweets or shepherd your children through the streets, remind the kids about the deeper meaning of the event: that death is no barrier to love and we can hold those dear to us in our hearts and minds forever. What better way to revive long lost traditions about a bygone era? Imagine for a second if the veil between worlds really dropped (just like in the movies). Originally, Halloween wasn’t a time to fear the dead, but rather to show some respect for their sacrifices. Lanterns represented supernatural beings for the Celtics. This year, more than ever before (thanks to mental health awareness during this pandemic), there seems to be a global shift towards increased spiritual practices. However, some areas hold large community events. In fact, a lot of the things we do on Halloween predate Christianity entirely. Doing so allows us to sync up with the messages and soulful rhythms that the universe is constantly sending our way. It is takes place on the eve of the Christian feast of “All Hallows’ Day”or “All Saint’s Day”. The facts about Halloween including the meaning of Halloween. The events of Halloween begin as day turns to night and the spirit of darkness descends. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Start now! Cultures all around the world have holidays strangely like Halloween. Your movie queue is filled with Hocus Pocus and Addam’s Family. The Spookiest Urban Legend in Every State, 14 Coronavirus Halloween Fabric Face Masks, 62 Best Last-Minute Halloween Costumes You Can DIY, Kids Will Love These Halloween Movies on Netflix, 29 Best-Selling Halloween Decorations on Amazon. Country Living editors select each product featured. On October 31, we celebrate Halloween Day. While there isn't a lot of detail known about these celebrations, many believe the Celts celebrated in costume (granted, they were likely as simple as animal hides) as a disguise against ghosts, enjoyed special feasts, and made lanterns by hollowing out gourds (hence, the history of jack-o'-lanterns). Halloweens Origin As Samhain Halloween’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Celts who celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-in). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Halloween, as we know it today, is an ultra-commercialized version of what was once a Celtic pagan spiritual festival called Samhain, and primarily based on seasonal shifts. Sometimes the scariest thing you can do is take the time to practice self-care. Halloween has origins in the Catholic liturgical calendar, he said, but the customs surrounding it have "drifted from the feast's intended meaning and purpose." Another popular All Hallows' Eve ritual was mirror-gazing, as people hoped to catch a vision of their future by looking into the mirror. Sign up to receive daily inspiration to your inbox. To this day, this concept ties in well with Samhain and the meaning behind it. It marked a pivotal time of year when seasons changed, but, more importantly, observers also believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin at this time, enabling them to connect with the dead. Halloween, as we know it today, is an ultra-commercialized version of what was once a Celtic pagan spiritual festival called Samhain, and primarily based on seasonal shifts. Source. Historical Background A few of today's popular celebrations associated with Halloween have pagan roots stemming from the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain. This evening, the streets of the United States (and many other countries) will be filled with children dressed in ghoulish costumes, going from door to door collecting candy. Lanterns were originally carved out from turnips. Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' evening"), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. Halloween is a name that means nothing by itself. After all, this old-fashioned holiday actually dates back many, many years. Samhain was the final harvest festival of the season, celebrated at the exact point between the Fall Equinox, and Winter Solstice (Right around October 31 st). More importantly, how and why did it take its present-day form? 10 Houseplants That Can Survive the Darkest Corner, Ben & Erin Napier Talk 'Home Town' Season 5, 93 Best Easy Low-Carb Recipes With Tons of Flavor. Over centuries, pagan traditions were either entirely forgotten or diluted out. Kelly. Fuel for the Soul: The true meaning of Halloween. Country Living participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. People wrote messages on pieces of paper in milk, and the notes were then folded and placed into walnut shells. Many are making conscious efforts to wake up to the wisdom within. In truth, Samhain holds a rich spiritual … This harvest festival of the Druids ushered in the New Year, beginning on the evening of October … The mass Irish migration to the Western world during the early 1900s resulted in many of their practices being welcomed by American early settlers. Over time, as Christianity took over and the pagan undertones of the holiday were lessened, the basic traditions of the holiday remained a part of pop culture every year; they simply evolved and modernized. Hundreds of years ago, people dressed up as saints and went door to door, which is the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating. The Real Meaning of Halloween. Halloween is an entirely pagan celebration with no basis in Scripture. Today commercialization of festivals has become a norm in our capitalistic economy. The police and fire departments have learnt to be on alert and prepare in advance for a sharp rise in … It is a time in which groups of children, teenagers, and adults dress in costumes and run from door to door shouting "trick-or-treat". Technical note: Soul cakes originated as part of the All Souls' Day holiday on November 2 (yep, a third holiday! [source: McBain's Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language] Encyclopedia Britannica says: Halloween, also called All Hallows' Eve or All Hallows' Evening, a holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. Anu (short for Anupama) is a clinical researcher by profession. The "een" part of the word is a contraction of "eve" — or evening before. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? My kids beg me to do it earlier. The True Spiritual Meaning of Halloween. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination. There are unique practices to each culture that are enriching to learn. (where people were deeply connected to nature and earth). It was referred to as Samhain (or “Sow-in”). The Celtics honored their ancestors in a truly unique way at Halloween (Or, Samhain). The early pagan holiday of Samhain involved a lot of ritualistic ceremonies to connect to spirits, as the Celts were polytheistic. Even better is if you can create new meaningful ones that resonate with you. The direct predecessor of modern-day Halloween is the festivity that began All Saints' Day, which started at sundown on October 31. While it is true that the origin of Halloween is from the Celtics, researching your roots and family traditions at this time can be truly soul-warming. Here's the true tale of how Halloween officially came to be. "Hallow" — or holy person — refers to the saints celebrated on All Saints' Day, which is November 1. Christian History of Halloween QUESTION: What is the Christian history of Halloween? Witches celebrate Halloween as the "Feast of Samhain" the first feast of the witchcraft year. Print. See if they are interested to learn more! Ever wondered what the real meaning behind Halloween is? As for the costumes, they evolved, too. We aren’t saying quit Halloween entirely this year! ), but eventually became a part of Halloween night as the concept evolved into trick-or-treating. Tell us one person, young or adult, who doesn’t think pumpkin carving is fun? This belief is shared by some other cultures; a similar idea is mentioned around the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which also typically occurs in October and involves saying prayers for the dead. With this ghoul-fest almost upon us, are you busy putting on your black hat and prepping your best witch costume? Depending on who you ask, Halloween is either a fun evening where kids get to dress up as their favorite character, monster, or hero and then wander around the neighborhood collecting enough candy to make them puke several times before bedtime, or it's Satan's holiday. No matter how old you are or how many times you've been around the block, the holiday simply never gets old. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. And this year, once again, we'll all be enjoying our favorite candy and admiring our neighbors' decorations on October 31—and the only spooky spirits we'll be talking about are the witch and ghost costumes our friends are wearing. 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