how did halloween start?

Question

how did halloween start?

Answer 1

I think Halloween started by the day to remember the dead. Then later someone thought of dressing up and trick-or-treating etc.
But I don't know the exact story this is what i think.

Answer 2

History of Halloween:

* The Celts believed that souls of the dead visited the earth every October 31.
* All Hallows Eve was the evening before All Saints Day which is celebrated on November 1.
* In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead starting the evening of October 31.
* Halloween also marks the end of harvest season. The end of October marks the time that pastures and fields dry up. The animals were brought in from the pasture to be butchered and the remaining vegetables left in fields and gardens were left to rot. This part of the season often brought about reminisce of loved ones that were lost.
* In 1800's people started to have parties. Part of the celebrations included costumes, fortune telling and games such as bobbing for apples.
* At the turn of the century, cities were overcrowded and Halloween marked the time to let off steam by playing practical jokes such as turning over out houses. By the 1930's things had gotten out of hand and serious damage was being done on Halloween. There was a movement to have children go door to door and ask for candy as an alternative to vandalism.

Answer 3

Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday called Samhain. It was believed that this was the day that the region between the dead and the living was the thinnest. Therefore, people had to protect themselves from the dead. They did this by wearing disguises, and putting out "treats" to keep the dead from attacking them. For some reason, they also used turnips as lanterns on Samhain. When the Celtic countries converted to Christianity, the church tried to make it more palatable by considering Samhain to be a day in honor of the dead, and made the next day the day in honor of all saints (or hallows) who didn't already have a day in their honor. So Samhain became known as All Hallow's Eve, or eventually Halloween. The costumes stayed, the "Trick or Treat" concept remained, and the turnips were converted to pumpkins when they reached the New World.

Answer 4

Halloween was originally samhaine, or sa'huine and is a Gaelic (or 'Celtic') term meaning simply "gathering" or "assembly" but it may have become a termused to mean "summer end" or "sunset of the year" after people had forgotten the literal meaning.

Those silly stories about some ancient "god of the dead" are just nonsense or else some nutbar takes the video game King's Quest VI, way too seriously (since Samhain is the name of the 'Lord of the Dead' in that game).The Celts did not have a specific "god of the dead" in their pantheon. It is a story that seems to have been made up by certain fundamentalist Christians who were trying to get Halloween banned in North America because they were religious bigots and didn't like anything that was pagan in origin. Unfortunately they didn't speak Irish or Welsh or Scots Gaelic and so they didn't realize that it was a pretty dumb story - equivalent to saying there was an evil god named "harvest"...

It was a harvest festival but it was also considered to be kind of like New Year's eve. At that time is was customary to remember those who had died during that year by making offerings of food or drink for them. This is just a way of showing that you loved them - they were not expected to actually eat or drink it. It is the same as the Irish tradition of pouring a glass for the dead person at a 'wake'...

The idea of carving pumpkins came from carving turnips, since they made a good safe (and cheap) candle holder - pumpkins are a plant imported from the Americas like potatoes and tobacco.

Answer 5

It is believed to have been started long before any of us realize-back in the times of the Druids and pagans. The beginning of the pagan new year is Halloween, and calle "Samhain," which is pronounced "Sow-in, or Sah-vin." It is the time that the days are shorter than the nights and marks the last of the three harvests which began in August.

The pagans believe that the veil which separates the land of the living from the land of the dead is thinnest on this night. These spirits are asked to help in divination and is considered a time to strengthen karmic ties with those you wish to be with again in other lives.

Halloween bonfires are lit even in modern Catholic Ireland. Samhain also marks the beginning of the Irish winter, as Beltaine (in May) marks the beginning of summer-the only two recognized seasons.

All c rops must be gathered by Sundown on October 30, and if anyone is late with this tradition it is considered bad luck. Bobbing for applesevolved from capturing the spirit of the dormant Goddes who will grieve for her consort until Yule. To capture the fruit ensures her continued presence and good will even though she remains silent for the next six weeks.

Sacred hazelnuts were also taken in divination patterns and then buried to honor the old gods. They are also consumed this time of year to induce mystic wisdom. It is a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and affirm our resolution in death not being a finality.

Masks have been used in all cultures of the world to invoke animal or totem energies, as aids to sympathetic magick, to raise power, and to imitate deities. The first known masks originated and date back to the Paleolithic perios and is represented in a cave drawing in southern France.

:-)

Answer 6

I bought a little Halloween bag and I'm using it as a purse, so I'll go with yes on this one!

Answer 7

Go to this website: www.blackdog.net/holiday/halloween/history.html

Answer 8

Both are good for you, each fruit/vegetable has different vitamins. Therefore as more variety, as better. Vegetables have generally less sugar than fruits.

Answer 9

most people believe that it is the devils birthday, but it actually started in the 17th century in ireland, and before pumpkins and jackolanterns, they carved turnips

Answer 10

it started off as all howles eve which is the night before all saints day