Halloween History & Origin
Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It's one of the most popular
holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without
knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fas-
cinating.
Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and
having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits
that should be avoided at all costs.
As the C hristian debate goes on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always
viewed as participating in an evil holiday. Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to
pagan rituals or the occult.
Halloween History
Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan
holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to
over 2000 years ago.
All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to con-
vert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this
designated day.
Origin of Halloween
While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain
consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Halloween somewhat differently but tradi-
tional Halloween practices remain the same.
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and
Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to
honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge
sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the
practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not
all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and en-
sure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.