What Is The History Of Halloween? (Answers)
HALLOWEEN – In this article, we will learn and discover the history, importance, and significance of one of the most beloved holidays, Halloween.
Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Over 2,000 years ago, in an area that is now Ireland, the Celts, the United Kingdom, and Northern France, celebrated the new year on November 1.
This day marked the last days of summer and the abundant harvest that came along with it. At the end of the summer, the dark and cold winter was coming.
Like a song of ice and fire, the Celts believed that the night before the new year (October 31), the boundaries that separate the living and the dead crumble. With this, they celebrated Samhain, the day that ghost returned to the earth.
They also attributed the poor harvest, damaged crops, and trouble to the presence of otherworldly spirits. Adding to this, they believed that druids and priests could make predictions about the future easier.
Based on an article from History, as the Celts were people who worshipped the volatile natural world and its signs, these prophecies were a comforting source of warmth in the long, dark winter.
Druids would build sacred bonfires. There, people gathered to burn crops and sacrifice animals to their Deities. During the celebration, the Celts would then wear costumes made up of animal heads and skins.
This was how the tradition of wearing costumes was started. However, things changed when the Celts were colonized by the Roman Empire.
Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, a holiday celebrated on October 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day. The celebration marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints.
This also marks the beginning of Allhallowtide which lasts three days and concludes with All Souls’ Day. However, the majority of Europe and much of North America treat Holloween as a non-religious holiday.
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