We all know what Halloween is. Everyone looks out their window on October 31st and sees children dressed as ghosts and goblins, chanting ‘trick-or-treat’ as they run from door to door. It is a tradition that many people anticipate every year. Halloween has become one of the most celebrated holidays in the USA. But how and when did Halloween start?
To this day, historians debate exactly how Halloween started. There are many theories about it, such as druidism, Christianity, and paganism. But the deepest roots of Halloween lie in Samhain. Samhain was a festival celebrated in Ireland and Scotland in medieval times. It meant the end of the year, as the new year was celebrated on November 1st.The term Samhain is derived from Celtic polytheism, which had been around since Roman times. The traditions of Samhain included stocking up on food for the winter, having a bonfire, and burning the bones of livestock. Turnips and pumpkins would be carved into what we call jack-o-lanterns. The term jack-o-lantern comes from the story of Stingy Jack, in which a man named Jack was forced to wander the earth in the dark with only a hollowed-out turnip with a candle inside for light. This explains the very origins of Halloween and why we celebrate it on October 31st. But why do we dress up, scare each other, and watch horror movies?
The spooky part of Halloween comes from The Festival of the Dead, which is what the Celts celebrated on Samhain in addition to the traditions aforementioned. The Celts believed that on Samhain the door between our world and the world of the dead opened. The people would dress up in scary costumes in order to ward off evil spirits. This is why we dress up on Halloween. Some people went from door to door asking for food on Samhain, claiming they were spirits. This is believed to be the origin of trick-or-treating. Tables were set on Samhain, and families would call for the spirits of their dead loved ones to come and feast with them. Samhain is still celebrated by some religious groups but has mostly been replaced by Halloween. As time passed, many other people and cultures contributed to Halloween, making it what it is today.
http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/history-halloween-all-hallows-eve-when-did-halloween-start
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