This year, I wanted to know more about the history of Halloween. I learned of Halloween's origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). After the Roman Empire conquered most of the Celtic territory, two Roman festivals blended with the Celtic tradition. One of these Roman traditions commemorated the passing of the dead (Feralia) and one honored the goddess Pomona (the goddess of fruit and trees). Later, Christian influence came when the Catholic church created "All Martyrs Day" which expanded to become "All Saints Day." Later still, the church began "All Souls Day" which honors the dead. These Christian days coincided with the same time of year that Samhain and similar celebrations took place. In America, the evolution of what we now know as Halloween continued as various traditions from immigrants combined and customs were molded toward children and communities during the time of the baby boom.
Much of what I learned is explained in far more detail on TheHistoryChannel.com.
Youtube snippet from the History Channel:
Youtube clip from Catholic.org:
Today, I'm going to have some fun handing out candy to trick-or-treaters...
Happy Halloween! xo
T
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