History of Halloween

History of Halloween

October 31st is a national holiday today known as Halloween. Before it evolved into this name it was known as All Hallows Eve. Kids carve pumpkins, dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating along with many other activities, but how did all this come to a start?

Halloween goes extremely far back to around 800 B.C.E. The Celtics lived in Western Europe in the present day countries of Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern France. The Celtic people were now farming and there last harvest would end up being around October 31st when it would start getting cold. This final Harvest of the year was a celebration known as Samhain. Not only was this day the final day of the harvest but the Celts also believed this was when the spirits of the dead were closest to the living and were able to roam the land. These spirits not only consisted of the diseased but also ghosts, fairies and demons. In order to keep these spirits from harming them, the Druids, Celtic priests, would meet on the hilltop of a forest and make a huge bonfire. From there the priests would take a piece of the wood and hand it out to families so they could start a fire in their homes to keep the spirits away. Families would dress as spirits to try and blend in with them so the spirits wouldn't bother them.

Pope Gregory I issued an edict in 601 C.E,. that instead of trying to convert the natives they could incorporate their beliefs into the missionaries. He wanted the Celts to incorporate All Saints' Day, which is where all the saints are honored and Christians and Catholics asked them for help on how to live their lives. Later on in 835 C.E. Pope Gregory III moved All Saints' Day to November 1st to try and cover up the pagan holiday. The Celtic people would still go around dressed up and beg for food but this time they aren't dressed up to blend in with the spirits but to honor and recognize the saints.

Halloween has many legends. One of them is about witches. On one All Hallows Eve a priest was walking along a country road and he looked off toward a hill where he saw a bonfire on top of it with these figures around it that were holding shafts. With the image that the priest thought he saw, which was a full moon in the background with figures that appeared to be flying on these