Ask Mike: History of Halloween
Hey Guys,
Halloween is almost here. You may be wondering why people choose October 31 as a day to dress up as monsters and demand candy from strangers. How did this awesome tradition get started?
Turns out, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the Celts. The origin of the holiday can be linked to the “ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.” Long story short — about 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived in what we now call modern day France, England, and Ireland. The Celts began their New Year on November 1, which meant that, for them, October 31 was like New Year’s Eve. Costumes made of animal skins were commonly worn, according to The History Channel.
Many years later, after Christianity grew in popularity, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as “All Saints Day” or “All-Hallows,” a time to honor saints. History.com writes that “in 1000 A.D., the church would make November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. All Souls Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils.” October 31 turned into “All-Hallows Eve” and then, eventually, Halloween. Some of the traditions (costumes and trickery) stuck around.
Got any good ideas for Halloween costumes this year? Share ‘em in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
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Gothic Fairy, Fairy Godmother, Wretched/Wicked School Girl.
i’m unable to have halloween this year
.. i hope everyone has fun..
Halloween isn’t really a new-years eve party, The celts believed spirits roamed on this very specific night, and wore the costumes to disguise being human. some people say that people dressed up as these monsters would visit others’ homes and scare the spirits away.
they say halloween is the d’s b-day and the candy ppl give are the gifts like on Christmas they actually give gifts.
I am going as a bunch of green grapes=green shirt, branches with green grapes attached then sewn onto my shirt, leaves in my hair of course with grapes hanging from the tresses. Pants black to represent the dirt with small grapes along the bottom of pants. Happy Halloween to everyone in Yahoo land. *-)
Really? I always thought it was because a long time ago, Oct. 31 was a day that ghosts/spirits could enter the earth, or human realm, and the barrier between spirits and human was at it’s thinnest. People wore frightening outfits to scare them away… Is it just because there are different theories?
Halloween is a day to celebrate the devil!!so if u go to church AND celebrate Halloween, you’re obviously not going to heaven!..i dont know how hard it is for some people..if u want to go to hell.. go on, celebrate Halloween, is the devil!
You can try “pocong” it’s kind a ghost in my country (I’m Indonesian)
search it in google.co.id 0_0
You’ll need a long white cloth
Wow Mike, im suprised you know so much about it, It has also been said that All Hallows Eve is also the day that all the demons in hell walk the earth.. I myself do not believe this but, it is also said that it is the day where the human body and mind is most in tune with the “spirit realm”
COSPLAY! :3 I’m either going as a school girl, (A.K.A. My old school uniforms from private school (which I already wore last year X3)) the Japanese Misa Amane, (’cause I don’t have a blonde hair or a wig and I’m too cheap to buy one) or as some random demon from kuroshitsuji (basically it’ll be a random dress and Sebastian’s mask)
It’s actually Hallowe’en -which is the abbreviation for Hallowed Evening, but the apostrophe seems to have disappeared in the past few years. It’s still a night to watch for goblins and ghosties and things that go ‘clunk’ in the night.
Well this year I am dressing as a clown. On the other hand my brother has two costumes; the one at school and at church will be a mad scientist with a stempunk look & the other for parties and trick or treating will be a terrorist.. he looks so Middle Easter its not going to be funny…
My nephew will be a zombie. I work with the theatrical program at my school so I’m doing his make-up; which is easy to learn to do.
I’m going as a dog at my party. I’ll be totally out of place with all of the pirates, ghouls, witches and spidermans. I still need to name me. I’m dressing my dogs as cats. And my cat as a ninja, because he is a ninja xD.
halloween isnt that fun
it is very detail,thank you .
Why can’t Amricans differentiate between Britain and England.As a Welshman,being called English is highly offensive!
A rag doll.
I know what you mean Bear, I find it really offensive also, how dare they cant tell the difference, oh my word, I think I would have a fit and go and lie in a darkened room if god forbid they called me Welsh when I am English <>
gross. i really did not know. thanks for telling me.
I’m going as a glampire.
dead ballet nerd lol
cool
i was wondering how Halloween came to be.
halloween is also a pagen holiday
This is not right at all. I have never heard of this load of crap as ever being the (REAL) reason Halloween was originally founded and celebrated. Halloween was originally a “holiday” created for witches, witch doctors, and people who practiced witch-craft to worship demons and satan, and leave sweet treats like fruit for them. That’s why many Christians do not believe it’s a holiday worth celebrating.
All this debate over minor details of its origin. Who cares?!?!?! It’s a wonderful excuse to let your wild side out, live out fantasies via costume, party,drink, go to amusement parks, get scared and have a fun-a$$ time! It is absolutely the best holiday and I feel it should be extended into a whole season the way Christmas is!!!!
sam hanes! people used to put jack o’ lanterns on there steeps to keep him away and used to wear masks to hide from him and over time it became a kids holiday. hallows eve used to be the only day parents kept there kids inside. now kids go out dresses as the cast of jersey shore and collect candy from strangers.
i love halloween dont think im like a devil worshiper or something.
and its the one day its ok for girls to looks like sluts and get away with it!
wasn’t ever allowed to celebrate Halloween as a kid =(
I was born in Brazil and we lived there for a while… Halloween was VERY different where I lived. It was a day to worship the devil and make live sacrifices. My dad always kept us all locked up in the house on Halloween for fear that something would happen to us (when we lived in Brazil) since we lived in a highly saintanist populated area and they really didn’t like us =\
Celebrated my first Halloween at age 15 but wasn’t allowed to trick-or-treat… just trunk-or-treat in a church parking lot.
Sorry but that stuff about the Celts is complete nonsense based on virtually no historical evidence. The earliest references to a Samhain (November) feast do not appear until the 10th century in Ireland – 400 years after Ireland became Christian and 200 years after All Saints Day started. It is more than likely that the monks who wrote the myths adopted the Christian date as good one to place a festival.
The myths do not menton any religous significance to the feast they describe. It is a warrios feats where men get drunk, boast about their victories and show off gory trophies. It is NOT the Celtic New Year.
Read this: http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/cuchulainnsick.htm
take some white shoe polish as a base. add whatever food coloring to it and dab your hair with it. use another color for your face. If you are really creative you can have a really good costume with them.
the old spice commercial guy – one towel .
Hallowe’en is truly an American “celebration” — despite its apparent origins in what has become Europe. On November 1 — All Saints’ Day, continental Europeans flock to the cemeteries to put flowers on the grave(s) of their dearly departed. The flower of choice is chrysanthemums.
Most of the dressing up in costumes is reserved for the Carnival week or so leading up to Lent and climaxing with Mardi Gras.
(American living in western Europe)
Here’s what happened people! Halloween used to be day spirits, monsters, demons, and the devil himself could come to earth and attack people. To protect themselves they used human skulls to keep them away. Eventually the skulls turned into pumkins with faces on them, and now Halloween is a fun Halloween for kids to dress up and get candy, teens to dress up and go out with friends and adults to dress out and hand out candy. Don’t believe me? Look it up!
Gotta go with Quadafi
Spongebob Squarepants!
Just a couple of corrections from a Celtic Pagan…
Samhain has been around for much longer than 2,000 years. It is believed this celebration of the end of summer (which is what Samhain means in Gaelic) probably started with the Proto-Celts, the ones who built the huge megalithic tombs all through Europe and Ireland. That would put them at around 3500BCE. Also, the Celts celebrated the Season of Samhain, with it lasting possibly as long as two weeks, but certainly at least 3 days.
This was also the end of the year beginning of new one for the Celts. Since they counted a ‘day’ from sundown to sundown, the years also always started with the ‘dark time’ of the year, which they saw as starting at the end of what we now call October through early November.
athena, catman, batwoman, Robin (as female sidekick)
I am going to be a ghost )have a white sheet and cut out eye holes) with a fake mustache and fedora!
Halloween is the divil worshipers holiday. BTW Im going to dress like you Mike, JK. But really its the devils holiday
I’m surprised that people don’t understand that Halloween is and was always a religious holiday and has NOTHING to do with the devil at all! Since its origins are Catholic and European, many people don’t understand that Catholics believe that they can pray to The Almight in behalf of the souls of their loved ones waiting is purgatory. They used to believe those souls might come to them on All Hallow’s Eve and remind them to go to church and pray for them, thus the fear. But today we celebrate it as a children’s holiday and welcome them to our door with a little gift as payment for their dressing up to entertain us. (Shame on those who think the devil could be involved! Ignorance!)
halla hallaween
im goin as a spanish princess
Happy Halloween!!!
It was a case of co-opting a pagan holiday so that the pagan traditions would be forgotten, same as with the winter solstice being celebrated as the birth of Christ when he was born in the Spring. Anyway, I just wanted to inform people on how to say it right. Celtic pronunciation is a VERY tricky thing. Samhain is pronounced “Saw-win” or “Saw-way”, depending on the dialect. Even Supernatural got it wrong.
im being a cute vamipire nerd ha!;)
Happy halloween everybody:)
did cu also know that the Celts use to battle naked!!!
HAHA going as the Odessa Eris Goddess of Chaos!!!
or u cld easily go as the cool undead girl !!!
It’ll be fun if one dressed like the undead with all the make up and character or the Grudge
What? No, no. The Cets believed that spirits and demons and the like could come to Earth on that night, so they left treats out to appease them and dressed up like them to confuse them into thinking that they were seeing other monsters instead of human children.
I’m going as a vampire! Because they are interesting for young children learning about mythical folklore’s that they can dress up as! Smile on my page if you like it.
Plague Doctor
austin powers
have ahappy halloween when it comes god bless you all thanks
There is something called Day of the Dead in Mexico. They believe that when you a person has 3 live’s. First one is when they die in the real world. Second is when there body harvest’s into the ground. Last is when you forget them. So in Mexico they celebrate Day of the Dead. It is 2 day’s November 1 and November 2. On November 1 they celebrate kid’s and set up altars for their loved ones. On November 2 they honor adults that past. They party both day’s and end up in a graveyard. They also sell Day of the Dead bread, and candy skull’s. (Made out of sugar) With the day of the dead bread they are a tiny skull in it and if you bite it you have good luck. The skull’s you just eat! The USA wanted to steal there idea and have it on October 31. So they can have fun too. I almost forgot that Day of the Dead was started in the early 1500′s. Aztec’s never were scared of ghost’s.
There’s a little brain in your noggin!
Hey Mike buddy! Hve u ever heard of the Jack ‘O lantern story? Well here it goes. In Ireland a long time ago, there was a man called” Stingy Jack”. He tricked the devil! And everyone else in Ireland. Do you know why he tricked Satan? Because Satan is allergic to wood. And Stingy Jack him tricked into climbing up a tree to get something but Jack threw the ladder away and Satan was stuck in the tree. So when Jack died he asked St. Peter” can I come in”. Then St. Peter said” You! No way I seen what you done to the people of Ireland and the devil”! Then Jack went down to Hell and asked the devil if he were aloud! Then the devil said” No way! After that day you tricked me! No way. So then the devil gave him a Lantern and so when he is in the dark going up and down he can see. Fact: If you look at the moon every Halloween you will see a bright lantern going across the sky if you wonder who it is? Its Jack!!!!
Say cool to me on these comments if you like it or love it! 
the Celts were more from Wales than England
happy hallowween god bless
monka happy halloween god bless
abhinardan happy halloween when it com godbless
This year, I’ll be dressing up as Marge Simpson =D
I am a Celt still living in UK….the way the Americans celebrate Halloween is all wrong and horrible to watch.
As a child we had apple-bobbing parties and we dressed as witches, black cats, bats etcs. that is the correct way to celebrate.
Then the Americans dramatized it all (as per usual) and we have ended up with the discusting horrow show of today…throwing eggs and flour at people is nothing to do with halloween neither is the horrid masks you all wear.
I’m going as a cat lady. I know not very sexy but it’s quick and to all single non-lesbian women who have never been married in their late-thirties probablythe scariest thing they can think of.
But, didnt Halloween originate in Ireland?
You got it wrong with the English part of it. Samhain is from Scotland and Ireland. I suggest you google it and learn a bit more.
halloween is a sick holiday. because your not supose to celebrate the devil and demons your supose to celebrate only jesus christ
Yes the article is true. it just lef out the fact that the celts believed the veil to the spirit world was thinnest on Haloween night and the spirits of the dead came to visit families.
Hot dog!!
It was Christians who promoted the idea of people dressing up in costumes to sneak up on the wandering spirits and frighten them away. That’s why those in their homes gave treats to the costumers, in gratitude for the protection on that spirit-laden night. One ‘tricked’ an ungrateful resident, when they refused to ‘treat’ the hard-working costumers. Don’t be an ignorant Christian. If you’re going to believe in something, learn about it first. You may discover it’s an even bigger fairy tale than anything else.
Zombie nurse.
Well, I don’t celebrate Halloween. For me, it’s a nice and peaceful time for the family – ____-
I can get how some people are getting upset, because they were taught different, but take into consideration the time periods, people groups, and other things. Alot of holidays today are a combination of several different customs practiced by several different people groups. All of what everyone has said holds some truth in it’s own way because of the fact that different customs pass down onto one thing. So I really think that all this “you’re wrong” “this is a load of crap” and such other comments need to stop. Thank you
Halloween is pretty much two Irish Holidays in one.
The first one is about the afterlife, while the second one is Ireland’s traditional day of government.
The Brehon Government was famous for having the first constitutional Government, and having a legal system based on common law.
The Government would meet on this day to do official business (Including the State Address and Congress would meet for three days), including the lawyers, so people could do tricks on people without getting trouble.
o.k
ok
im want to go as a kaname or zero from vampire knight
Annie, I challenge you to post a reliable historical source for that claim.
That’s not the origin of halloween! I agree with the person above me. People used to put razors in apples and give it to children. I hate this holiday
imma be a jockey!!
People usually found it “rude” of me to say that Halloween did, in fact, “not” start with Spain and the Latin American regions. Here’s their proof(sort-of). It all began with the Celts.
I would say “according to the History Channel” is a terrible credit. The History Channel is known to twist and exaggerate certain histories with uncredited theories. By the time the segment is over, you don’t know what’s true or what’s theory.
As for my Halloween costume… I’m not dressing up. It used to be fun, but I think I’ve lost my sense of fun with it. The horror films and paranormal investigations on TV are about the only thing I look forward to on Halloween.
hey hey hey sooo yea im thinking to dress up as a vamp because i like vamps and holloween is about having fun a getting FREE CANDY soo dont talk nerdyyyy and have fun is HALLOWEEN PS HAPPY HALLOWEEN
maysomes ones mom told him to start it
i hate halloween
hallow’s eve is The Celtic New Year. and there is a hill where it all began i think Wards hill in county wicklow i think… invented in ireland and a forgotten holiday here and it is a disgrace
A fire truck!
just kidding xD Fat Ninja FTW! Nin-nin! Brings tears of manliness to the eyes 
i think u just copied that in some article it is kinda familiar to me btw here’s the link “http://www.halloween-history.org/” there!
Oh my goodness guys. Who cares where Halloween started or how it got started. Its a day to have fun and a chance to be yourself and not have to impress anyone. Its not a day to “worship” the devil or a day that “spirits roam the earth” you won’t go to Hell for trick or treating and your certainly not doing youself any favors to lock yourself in your house an be negative all night. so go out have fun or if you really dont wanna dress up hsve friends over and watch a movie. im just tired of all the sterotypical people and the ones who turn a little fun celebration into someting its not:)
I’m going to be Juliet from Gnomio and Juliet she is a red gnome!
ahh! can’t wait for halloween.
less than a week away. C:
Btw, I’m making my costume lol I’m being grapes.
i have an ideas zombie singer goth fairy and
vampire stripper
Thanks for the info Mike, but the story seems to be missing many parts, though it’s a short version. Halloween went from celebrating the New Year to celebrating saints to honoring the dead? Some say it’s not a day to celebrate Lucifer, but yet, the tradition is to dress up in scary costumes and play horrifying pranks on people. If that isn’t the devil, then I don’t know what is? Nevertheless, I’m not a kill joy, so I will be passing out treats to the kids.
I would recommend you being Mario with a plastic weapon and a boy relative/friend/partner being Browser and a girl friend/relative/partner being Princess Peach.
Ok, Halloween is NOT the devil. You will not go to hell if you celebrate it. Back then it may have been something evil about incantating (is that even a word?) spirits and whatnot, but now it is not. All it is is begging for candy. Not a good reason to burn in hell for the rest of eternity, I’d say.
A scary dragon.
I am going as the Sundrop girl
thanks for guys i like this
Halloween was first known as a day of fasting for All Saints Day. All Saints Day is celebrated on November 1st. It is also known as a celtic holiday for the end of harvesting season.
Some important information was left out in this, but it’s still good. It was a Celtic celebration of the day when the entrance from the spirit world to the human world is at it’s thinnest. Therefore making it easy for all spirits to enter the human world ( evil and good ). The Celts would dress up in scary disguises ( mask’s or animal skins ) to scare away the evil spirits, that’s how the tradition of wearing costumes came from. The Celt’s also lived throughout not only Ireland, England and France but also Wales, Germany and possibly Spain.
Halloween is right around the corner. Pumpkins, witches, haunted houses and all kinds of scary movies abound. Along with these, and the rising popularity of ghost sightings, we need to consider what Scripture teaches about ghosts and what happens when people die. Do they go straight to heaven or hell ? Or, do they hover around earth to be sighted by the living ? Or, is the truth “none of the above” ?
According to Scripture, we know several facts:
1) Death is like a state of sleep. 1 Kings 1:21; 2 Samuel 7:12; Job 14:12; 2 Peter 3:10.
2) During this time, the dead person knows nothing. Ecclesiastes 9:5,6; Psalm 115:17.
3) We do not go directly to heaven or hell when we die. John 5:28,29; Acts 2:29,34.
4) The dead don’t rise until the second coming of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 and Revelation 22:12 says when Jesus returns, He has His reward with Him. Isn’t receiving eternal life the reward ? Now, if that reward is with Him when He comes back, how could it be given to people upon their death, before He returns ?
So, based on those facts, how can we explain the many instances of ghost-sightings or family visits from dead loved ones ? What is really going on when we experience the dead communicating with us ? Who is doing this very real communicating ?
The answer is tied in the the very first lie that Satan ever spoke, when he tempted Eve in the garden and said “You shall not surely die”. Genesis 3:4.
When humans fail to realize that death is really death, it gives Satan a powerful method to deceive. The lie that humans do not really die was so effective for Satan that he is still telling it to this day. Supernatural messages through seances, witchcraft, and psychics are all extensions of this original lie. Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Galatians 5:20,21 says those who participate in these activities will be disinherited from the kingdom of God.
The reason God warns us so strongly about speaking to spirits (including ghosts) is that these are evil spirits, teaching the doctrines of Satan, not of God. Jeremiah 29:8,9; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:14,15.
Sometimes we forget the fact that when Satan fell many angels of heaven fell with him. Revelation 12:4. That is a powerful army of evil agents working with Satan to help him achieve his purpose to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10.
The good news is that Jesus has given us power over these evil angels and made these spirits subject to us Luke 10:19,20. We are promised in James 4:7 that all we have to do is submit ourselves unto God and resist Satan, and Satan will flee from us. We need only speak the words used by Jesus Himself. Simply say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, get thee behind me, Satan” Luke 4:8….and watch them flee !
On another note, why not turn Halloween from a “Dentist’s Delight Day”, to a “Feed Fannin Day”, helping others by collecting cans instead of candy. With the Food Pantry always running low, now is a perfect opportunity to send our kids out knocking on doors using their energy for something that’s…..really good. Matthew 25:34-46.
I think it’s funny that people on here are saying that Halloween has to do with the devil. It has nothing to do with the devil. In fact, the Catholics started modern Halloween. You should check out this program that airs on the discovery channel called “The History of Halloween.”
No No No, there were no such people as the Celts, you need to check your history properly. The inhabitants of the countries you mention were the Gales, the Angles and the Iceni.
The reason for dressing up as devils and ghouls was to mock the Druids (followers of the local religion) who celebrated thier day of life on Oct 31, just before winter came, as many could be killed by the cold.
What a boring Oct’s end would be with no Halloween.!!! No excited children to start up winter celebrations????All mothers need a rest from summer,even Mother Nature.Only dying of the harvest…not Macharvest.Real toil in the soil to provide the extra pickels n special orders.These kids need to walk it off.Have a Happy Halloween wee ones!!!The only evil involved is not brushing your teeth.EEEWWWWWE
Many cultures around the world celebrate this time of the year (Mid October to the first week in November) in some form or another. It actually is in observance of the Fall Equinox. This is where the Discovery and History Channels dissapoint because they did not do their homework. Fall Equinox is observed for the harvesting season, when the world (Northern Hemisphere) seems to die back, and life is at a stand still. The old Celtic/Druid/and Germanic tribes began the original observances. They believed that due to the “usual” time where all the leaves and plant life was dying back, “when the last leaf fell”, that is when it is time for the spirits to make their last appearance and that the veils between this world and the next were at their thinnest and they could once again visit the living before the new era began. The Aztecs observed this for many generations prior to the Spaniards coming. They observed this tradition of the Day of the Dead by the astronomical observances. It was a day to celebrate, remember, and honor those that have crossed over. Those who had died. To be part of their ancestors lives for a short time. Many cultures used this time to contact their deceased loved ones to glean some sort of insight of their future. To ask for help or blessings in their lives. For intervention with their deity or deities. Each one is a positive observance and none have anything to do with the Christian concept of Devils, demons, or evil entities. That is a Christian concept. The dressing up part is usually a representation of the “bad and mischievious” spirits that many of the early Europeans believed in prior to full Christian conversion. Goblins, trolls, nymphs, fairies, elves, ect. It was to confuse these entities so they would not cause mischief amoung the villagers. Making food stores go bad, causing illness, or destroying property or live stock. When the festival nights (yes more than one) were over, they would celebrate a new year free of strife, illness, and hardships from the coming winter. Leaving gifts for the Gods, Goddesses, and spirits so that they may be “blessed” by them. The ritual of appeasing deities and spirits is older than Judaism or Christianity themselves. It has been entwined and adopted with these beliefs over the centuries. Much of the Christian observances have their roots in the old ways religions. Enjoy your fall festivals, Samhain, and turning of the wheel.
i can’t celebrate halloween this year due to my dad who has a slip disk in his back and my dog who is a rottwieler who has artheritas (i think you spell it like that.) and i have flu, and now everything depends on my mom.
happy halloween to everyone else:)
This was a nice article, few people know about the true origins of Halloween. Though there was one piece of information that you left out. One of the reasons we celebrate all these things on October 31 is because that is when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is the thinnest, allowing the dead to visit our realm.
I’m going to be Kim Kardashian. I have long hair so I’ll cut it to her hairstyle and put her smokey eye make up and where a tight dress.
Well I don’t know the full story but I know if somebody tick or treats you and you dont treat its meant to be a spiritual curse or something O.o
my mom never lets me celebrate Halloween.
Ur awesome dude, devil witch or devil worshiper
@Rich, there were such people as the Celts it’s proven with archaeology. But the other people you mentioned did exist too and were very similar to the Celts. Not trying to be rude or anything it’s just that they really did exist, I have plenty of books on them.
So I’m going as the TARDIS and my best friend is going as David Tennant’s version of Dr. Who!
I’m going to be a undercover cop and when somebody asks what I am I take out my badge.
from i what i stopped to read, no one had it right. It actually originated from a pagan holiday, which does include evil spirits, evil, and hellish beliefs. The catholic church conformed with the holiday to keep new pagan converts members and renamed it.
o.k….
First point. The so-called “Celts” were never a single people. Celt was just the word the Romans gave to “them there foreigners”. There were related languages around that got pushed to the margins by the Latin and Germanic tongues of those who conquered them. The people largely stayed put and interbred with the invaders.
Secondly I know of NO historical evidence for any Celtic celebration of the dead pre-dating the Catholic church, in ROME, creating All Saints Day. Lots of books and web-sites make the claim, none of them EVER produce any original evidence for it. If anyone does have some original source evidence for it, produce it and I”ll debate it. Put up or shut up, as they say.
Thank you so much for posting this. My teacher gave us a extra credit assignments and one is for my class to research the history on halloween!
the Celts lived in what we now call modern day France, England, and Ireland???? So not Wales and Scotalnd then. Not Galicia, not the Basque country. What a pig-ignorant thing to say.
Im gonna be Clio, greek goddess of historical poetry. i CANNOT WAIT FOR HALLOWEEN!!!
KE$HA. *epicnod*
Halloween basically had 3 origins – combining them. There was the Pagan origin of Samhain. There was then the Christian origin. That was Christian dogma attempting to eradicate it by making it out to be evil. There was then the American origin. For instance, the Jack O’ Lantern pumpkins.
It’s incidentally basically only Europe and North America that has Halloween.
And I who thought it has something to do with Luther and his 95… As I remember it was on octobre 31 when he knocked them at the door.
Thanks Mike glad to hear !
SAMHAIN: The holiday known today as “Halloween” was originally called “Samhain” a Celtic word meaning “Summer’s End.” In ancient times, religions were based upon nature, where humanity lived in tune with the earth, the change of seasons and the changes in the stars in the sky. This is the essence of what today we call with a blanket term of paganism (code word for gentile); essentially what is natural and normal and life positive. Not fearing non-existent boogey men, anti-life ideologies or anti-normal social and biological functions pushed in fake religions designed for social control. The major cycles of the year and the crops were important times for festivities, rites and celebrations. Samhain was a time of harvest and the end of a year, a time of preparation; storing crops and preparing for the dead of winter. The eve of November 1st was the eve of the Celtic New Year. This holiday was a time of harvest, a time of endings, death and dying, as plant life died and the cold set in. Samhain was also a time of honoring the dead. All those who came before. The Druids built huge bonfires, which they considered sacred, in honor of the Celtic New Year. At one time there was a prevailing belief in the existence of a Celtic god of the dead known as “Samhain”. With extensive research and study accomplished by many scholars, nearly all agree this god was non-existent. Nearly all of the sources mentioning a diety of death known as “Samhain” are Christian and they have (as usual) NO legitimate references to back up their claims. Samhain was celebrated for centuries before the Christian takeover of pagan (gentile) holidays. To the intruding Christian religion, any gods of the old faith were considered “evil”, of the “devil”* (see below) or “Satanic” and therefore especially unwelcome at a time of “danger” for the “soul of any good parishioner.” This was why Christians suppressed the “deadly rite” and replaced it a day later with ‘all soul’s day’. ‘Trick or treating’ originated in Ireland as beggars went door to door on October 31st, asking for handouts. The gifts were for “Muck Olla” a god who was said to destroy the house of anyone who was not generous. Jack-O-Lanterns also had their origin in Ireland; named for a man named “Jack.” The story goes that Jack was a miser and when he died, he was not allowed into heaven and he also played jokes on the Devil, so he was not admitted into Hell either, but was doomed to walk the Earth forever. He only had a litle lantern to light his way and this is why he came to be called Jack-O-Lantern. Of course, the spooks, vampires and ghouls were associated with this holiday because of the natural human fear of death and Samhain was a holiday of death. *”Devil” is simply “evil” with a “d” in front of it meaning “dark evil”.
i am a pirate
This pagan, twisted history is exactly why I don’t celebrate Halloween. I value what God’s feelings on the matter are, and how could God approve of celebrations which have direct connections to death, false religion, etc.?
(Isaiah 52:11; Revelation 18:4)
The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid [ancient Celtic priesthood] ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead . . . , whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English folk lore: “Certainly Samhain was a time for festive gatherings, and medieval Irish texts and later Irish, Welsh, and Scottish folklore use it as a setting for supernatural encounters, but there is no evidence that it was connected with the dead in pre-Christian times
@larisa holloween isn’t the devils holiday; stop spewing ignorance. Even your christmas is a pagan holiday.
I am going as Obama
i am being a flash dancer from the 80′s
Dear Mike,
as one of your other commenters has noted, there is a huge difference between ‘England’ and ‘Britain’. Back in the days when Samhain originated, there was no such thing as England. England only came into being with the union of the Saxon kingdoms in the early Medieval period, at least half a millennium before Samhain came into being. The Celts lived principally in Britain and in Gaul (modern-day France, Italy north of the Rubicon). Britain consisted then as now of the whole island of Britain, including present-day Wales and Scotland. Please will you show more respect to British users. This is not merely a hairsplitting nicety. I may live in England, and I was born here too, but I am British, not English.
Happy Samhain to all Answers users.
I meant to say at least half a millennium *after*, not before. England is a recent invention. And the whole of Britain was inhabited by the Celts long before then.
“Samhain” had absolutely nothing to do with it until people dreamt up that idea in the 20th century.
Christians – Catholics – invented the whole thing.
A CRAYON!!!!!!!!!!
ninja or a hero from MARVEL
Man, it sucks being a Jehovah’s Witness…
Sorry, but I have to add yet another correction to this blog post. England is not and never has been a “celtic” nation. The six Celtic nations were Brittany, Cornwall (both of which used to be independent), Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_nations
Ugh… the amount of ignorance on this subject is staggering. The actual article poster Mike was wrong and thus got the whole ball rolling in the wrong direction. halloween has lots of unrelated and semi-traditions that are similar, but modern halloween comes from All Saints Day on November 1st. The middle english word for Saint is Hallow, which translates roughly to revered soul. Halloween is a bastardization of middle english slang for All Hallow’s Eve.
Halloween for the Celts was the festival of Samhain, the god of death, and it was new years eve, so they believed spirits that died in the past year could only remain on earth till October 31st. Celts believed these spirits could be temperamental, so giving them offerings of food and wine was popular. Furthermore they believed if the spirit was pleased they could tell you your future. When Pope GREGORY III began all saints day on November 1st the term “all hallows eve” or “Hallowe’en” came about, People exchanged treats called “soul cakes” in return for prayers for themselves or their beloved deceased to the saints, and often dressed in costumes for their patrons. In colonial america, puritans wishing to break away with motherland traditions did not celebrate many holidays – however they did celebrate Guy Fawkes day (Guy Fawkes was a man who stood against the church and was killed). In later times colonials dressed as Guy Fawkes and began to have parties during this season, preparing seasonal meals for the townspeople. It was not until the rise in immigration that costumes came popular. Catholic immigrants to specifically in America began to change customs, dressing up other then as saints.
where can this be found???
Feldman, Ellen. “Halloween.” American Heritage. 52, no. 7 (2001): 63.
If you have Ebsco host or Jstor access you can find this extensive research article.
The piece of land now called England was a Celtic nation long before the English took it over. It was Britain in those days. And it still is. And some of us British people still believe that Britain is a Celtic nation, in spite of the English people who so bombastically maintain that it is otherwise.
It is amazing how people either have no problem with it.. or it is essentially worshiping the devil.
This is the problem we have with days we observe as ‘humans’ that deal with the supernatural, or more likely just the made up fairytales and explanations of yester-centuries to explain things we now can qualitatively quantify in a simple manner.
Thus, today, these things that were very ‘serious’ are now mostly tradition and have no emphatic literal meaning to them.
Think about the, now traditional, kids (and people of all ages) dressing up at halloween… going to get candy.. and so on.
These people (for the most part) don’t have “worshipping Satan” or anything of the like cross their mind. They see it as the harmless bit of fun and games it is.
A day of Halloween doesn’t lead a person into demonic practice. It isn’t a ‘gateway’ holiday.
There is just absolutely no reason , other than ignorance or the refusal to open your mind and consider all the facts.
I’ve seen comments saying ” This is the day of the Devil.. if you celebrate it you ARE going to hell.” Or.. “I thought this was the day that demons could roam the earth and costumes were protection.” Or some variation thereof.
No! How many incidents of demon related death on halloween do you see? How many “non-protected” people get hurt or possessed?
This article may not have the facts in perfect order — but I think most will find it is nearly impossible to come to an ABSOLUTE with something this old. You can only go so far back with any legitimate source selection.
Even now, when people go through our writings (far into the future) (ie: what is online) — they will get a mixed reaction because of the misinformation we all hold.
I think it is most logical and safe to safe this did come about as a custom of some sort from a LONG time ago (note no nations mentioned) — that the people did believe was crucial.. (and you and I would, at that time, as well). Then as the ‘church’ took over civilized society it was handily turned into something else with some similar connotations. IE: All-hallows Eve,.. St.’s Day, etc.
It is universally common for a government, state, or church ‘power’ to conveniently take something like this and use it for their own purpose. Tweaking an existing day of importance is alot easier than creating a new one.
Nothing WRONG with that,.. don’t get me wrong. It is sort of a modernizing of things.
Now, we have less people than ever who live their lives on the belief system of Christianity. This is natural based on the mainstream nature of science — Point here being is the way we now celebrate or ‘act’ on halloween is purely out of ‘fun’ and tradition.
Most anyone in their ‘right mind’ doesn’t honestly think halloween has any implication on their ability to continue to live (safety). Although I am a little concerned with the people who think demons (other than our guises) roam the world on Halloween.
My opinion is people need to relax and if you want to participate .. fine. If not,.. fine. But the judging of others based on their actions (that are innocent) is ridiculous.
I heard about Halloween only in USA. We knew about All Saints Day in India. In US we were told that it was celebrated by the celt settlers who found lots of pumpkins on East coast. Somehow we hadnotheard about this in UK. I am glad to have known all these stories and thank Mike for that
I just think that it is very sad and such a massive shame that people need to be told these kind of things, you’ve been celebrating Halloween all of your life and never even considered what it’s actually about?
People these days just don’t care… about their heritage, ancestry, or the fact that holidays (holy days) are supposed to be spent with loved ones and treated with a sacred respect.
Why bother celebrating something you don’t understand anyway? What IS the point? You don’t celebrate Eid if you’re not a Muslim, and you don’t celebrate Diwalli if you’re not a Hindu! So why are Pagan (or even Western) Holidays treated so cheaply and with such little respect!
And there are still a lot of people who still celebrate Samhain properly, I do, and it’s a lot more enjoyable when there’s an actual meaning to it rather than “Yay, another excuse to get drunk and dress like a whore!”
Bloody kids….
well who ever osted this “Halloween is a day to celebrate the devil!!so if u go to church AND celebrate Halloween, you’re obviously not going to heaven!..i dont know how hard it is for some people..if u want to go to hell.. go on, celebrate Halloween, is the devil!” is cleary not too smart because i know just as long as you have god in your mind and you worship and admit your sins to him everynight you pray then your going to heaven. theres nothing wrong with getting candy and dressing up.
???England is not and never has been a “celtic” nation???
Cobblers. Before the Romans turned up it was just as “Celtic” as any of your other “Celtic” nations.
And, by the way, to those posting quotes about “Samhain” from Victorian encyclopaedias and the like, just try and find the original evidnece behind the articles. There isn’t any.
i liked halloween. i don’t think my neighbors did though. we had way too much fun!!!