Halloween: The History and Origin

It was 2,000 years ago when the Celts first celebrated a holiday called Samhain (pronounced sah-win). It marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31st, as their calendar changed, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred. Spirits of the dead were believed to roam the earth, causing havoc. The Celts also believed that the presence of these spirits enabled the Druids, their priestly class, to predict the future.

During Samhain, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes made of animal skins to ward off roaming spirits. They also believed that the spirits of their deceased ancestors would visit them during this time. To honor these spirits, they would leave food and treats outside their homes.

The Romans had conquered the Celts by the year 43 CE and ruled for 400 years. During this time they combined two of their own holidays with Samhain. One was Feralia, a holiday commemorating the dead. The other was the holiday honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. Pomona’s symbol was an apple and this is part of the origin of the custom of ‘bobbing for apples’ on Halloween.

In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints’ Day, a day to honor all saints and martyrs. The celebration of All Saints’ Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The night before, known as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually became Halloween. In 1000 CE, November 2 was designated All Souls Day, honoring the dead. Collectively, the three day festival from October 31 through November 2 was called “Hallowmas.”

All Souls Day in England featured parades. During festivities, the poor would beg for ‘soul cakes,’ which they received in exchange for promises to pray for the donor’s dead relatives. The Church encouraged the practice of soliciting soul cakes to replace the practice of leaving food out to appease wandering spirits. This is the source of the modern “Trick or Treat.”

Dressing in costume comes from the Celtic tradition of dressing up in animal skins and from a European custom. People feared encountering ghosts if they went out on Halloween. They dressed up and wore masks to disguise themselves so spirits would mistake them for other ghosts.

Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States until the 19th century when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their Halloween traditions to America. The holiday became more commercialized in the early 20th century, with the focus shifting towards community events, parties, and trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating gained popularity during the Great Depression in the 1930s. It provided children with a way to collect treats and alleviate some of the economic hardships faced by their families. Trick-or-treating soon became a widespread tradition, with children dressed in costumes going door-to-door in their neighborhoods asking for candy.

Over time, Halloween has evolved into a holiday that combines ancient Celtic and Christian traditions with modern-day customs. People decorate their homes with spooky decorations, carve pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, and attend costume parties. It has become a celebration of all things scary and fun, a time for people of all ages to dress up, indulge in treats, and enjoy the spirit of Halloween.

The irony of many Fundamentalist Christian groups objecting to Halloween because of its pagan origins is that the same superimposition of Christian holidays over existing pagan holidays was accomplished with Lupercalia (St. Valentine’s Day), Eostre (Easter) and Yule (Christmas).

What is the origin of Halloween? It is a combination of holidays which overlapped and grew into one from separate Celtic, Roman and Christian traditions. Any way you look at it, Halloween is not a secular holiday.