Halloween originated thousands of years ago, making it one of the oldest holidays. The Halloween that we celebrated today, has had many influences from many cultures over the years, such as the Roman’s Pomona Day, Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.
Hundreds of years ago the Celts lived, in what we now Great Britain and Northern France. They worshipped nature and had many gods, the sun god being their favorite. This was the god that dictated their work and their rest schedules. He was also known for making the earth beautiful and the crops grow plentiful .
Celtic New Year was on November 1st. Every year, the Celts celebrated, with a festival and marking the end of summer, (the season of the sun) and the beginning of winter (the season of darkness and cold.)
On October 31st once all the crops were harvested and stored away for the long winter, they would extinguish the cooking fires in the homes. The Celtic priests, also called Druids, would gather in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred) upon the hilltop. Here they would make new fires and offer sacrifices consisting of crops and animals. They would then begin to dance around the fires. It was at this ceremony the season of the sun would pass and the season of darkness would begin.
In the morning the Druids took an ember from their fires and gave it to each of the families. They would take the ember home and start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits, until the season of sun returned.
November 1st was the festival called Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”). This festival lasted for 3 days. People would parade around in costumes made from the skins and heads of animals. It was this festival that became the first Halloween
During the first century that the Romans invaded Britain, they brought many of their festivals and customs, with them. One of these was Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. This festival was also celebrated around November 1st. After hundreds of years of Romans, the Celtic’s Samhain festival became mixed with the Roman’s Pomona Day creating one major fall holiday.
The next influence came about when the new Christian religion spread throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday honoring all the saints. This day was called All Saint’s Day, Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later, the church called November 2nd, All Souls Day, to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.
The spread of Christianity did not make people forget their customs. People continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day on October 31st. Over the years all customs from these holidays mixed. October 31st was All Hallow Even, later All Hallow’s Eve, Hallowe’en and then Halloween, as we know it today.
Halloween as we know it, includes all of these influences, Pomona Day‘s apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain’s black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, ghosts, skeletons and skulls.
