Otherworld North East Research Society Journal 01 | Page 26

Otherworld North East

4. The Origin of Halloween
By Tony Liddell

H

ALLOWEEN IS CELEBRATED ON THE evening of the 31st October. The term
“Halloween” is short for All Hallows Even, with hallow being Old English for
‘saint’. Halloween is the eve of All Saints’ Day, celebrated on the 1st November; the
latter has been celebrated on that date since at least 837AD when Pope Gregory IV
ordered its church-wide observance.
It is thought by many religious historians that All Saints Day is the end result of a number
of earlier commemorations for numerous martyrs, eventually resulting in one feast or
celebration per year for all saints and martyrs. When the practice of the individual
commemorations actually began is historically unknown. Looking further back in time, it
is easy to see that many of the customs practiced for All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day
pre-date Christian influence and belong to much different religions.
In most countries Halloween is strictly religious in nature, but here in the United Kingdom
and especially over in America customs are quite different. Historians have linked many of
the practices seen today with the Roman Festivals of Pomona (Goddess of Fruit and
Trees) and that of Feralia when the Romans tradition-ally commemorated their dead. The
idea that spirits wander the Earth on Halloween night has been likened to the pagan
festival of Samhain, or summer’s end, celebrated on November 1st. It is extremely likely
that the presence of this festival at this time is the main reason for the Christian Church
chosing that date for All Saints Day, to help ease the transition of many pagan beliefs into
Christianity. At the summer’s end, it is said that evil spirits (ghosts, goblins, faeries and
other such folk) were said to roam the earth playing tricks on lowly men and women. It
was also thought that the veil between the lands of the living and the lands of the dead
grew thin during the last night of the summer, and that the dead would walk the earth.
Thus, offerings were made in food and drink to keep such spirits from the door, bonfires
were lit to keep away the darkness where the spirits hid, and terrifying masks were
sometimes worn to warn off the evil: all origins of what we now see on Halloween Night.
It is also thought that the lighting of lamps or candles in the windows of homes was used
as protection against the wandering spirits, and also used to allow the souls of the family’s
dead to find them.
In c.1000AD, November was designated as All Souls’ Day, a day to honour the dead. All
three festivals, All Saints’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day became known as
Hallowmas, thus giving the name All Hallows Eve to All Saints’ Eve.
During the mid to late medieval periods, it was common belief that witches were devoted
to the worship of the Devil, and it was thought that one of the witches’; more important

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