What is the meaning of Halloween?

Answer 1

Halloween (IPA pronunciation: [hælə'win], [hælo'win]) is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets. It is celebrated in much of the Western world, though most common in Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and with increasing popularity in Australia, and sometimes celebrated in New Zealand. Halloween originated among the Celts in Ireland, Britain and France[1] as the Pagan Celtic harvest festival, Samhain. Irish, Scots, Welsh and other immigrants brought versions of the traditions to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century.

The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day"[2] (also known as "All Saints' Day"). In Ireland, the name was All Hallows' Eve (often shortened to Hallow Eve), and though seldomly used today, it is still a well-accepted label. Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries and given a Christian interpretation. Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca, a mischievous spirit.

Halloween is sometimes associated with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent (e.g. Catalan mythology about witches, Irish tales of the Sídhe).

Answer 2

It's become the 2nd largest COMMERCIAL holiday on the calendar. The first is Christmas. We know there are two Christmases -- there is ours that is the true meaning of it. We are celebrating a day of remembering how Christ fulfilled prophecy and came into this world as an infant, humbling himself in that way is amazing to me. There is also the secular Christmas that is about parties and family and great food. It's about decorating, but it's very, very little about God. We know about this. Now, consider this, there are two Halloweens. There is the real one, and there is the secular one. Keep in mind that I am NOT talking about what Halloween has become through commercialization. I am talking about the actual true meaning of it. The real day dates back around 3000 years to the Celetic tribes in Northern Europe. Samhein is really the name of Halloween in the beginning. It was believed that the night held the unusual magical time that the veil between the dead and the living was the thinest and the spirits could roam freely on earth. Now, pagans from all over the world that night will be praying to the ancient Gods to invoke the spirits of the dead to roam among them. It is seen as a gateway period that is very magical still today. Take a look at the traditions that are surrounded with Halloween 1) Jack O'Lanterns came from the legend of a guy that was too bad for heaven or hell. 2) Trick or Treating comes from the fact that the Celetic tribes put out sweets that would be gifts for the spirits roaming the earth. Also, they believed the spiritual creatures that roamed the earth did pranks like some people perform still today like TPing houses and egging homes. They roamed around much like people now roam around the streets in costumes that resemble supernatural creatures. 3)It was the best night in the year to predict the future. They would tell the stories of people's lives for the coming years into the nights -- be it moving, death, or life. This is where the ghost story telling is believed to start from. 4) Black cats were seen as a witch's spirit. So people loved the idea of decorating with black cat figures. 5) Bats -- their used to be bonfines on Samhein that would attract bugs and other critters. Because of that, the bats would swarm to get their dinner. They were then associated with the holiday. Some of the most powerful spells are performed on Samhein night because it is seen is the most magically powerful day of the entire year.

Answer 3

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

Answer 4

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
Door

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
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Answer 5

As Halloween approaches us frighteningly fast, preparations are beginning for many activities, celebrations and festivities.

But amid all the exhilarating Halloween frenzy that we have so long been accustomed to, we often forget the true meaning behind why we are really celebrating.

There is indeed a meaningful history, for at the roots of this ancient holiday are 2000 years of European-bred traditions, customs and rituals that evolved into Halloween as we know it today.

The actual concept of Halloween is derived from an early Celtic holiday called Samhein (pronounced sow-in) that took place at the beginning of the winter season on Oct. 31. This day marked the end of summer and the end of food abundance and plant vitality for farmers.

Spirits of the dead were believed to roam freely. On the day known as "The Day of the Dead," living relatives would help their dead loved ones complete a safe journey to the afterlife.

People would paint or carve scary faces on gourds and turnips and disguise themselves in outlandish costumes to scare away the evil spirits that were also thought to be wandering the earth that night.

The Catholic Church, angered by these pagan practices, sought to eliminate them. Pope Gregory decided to declare a new festival of religious observance called All Saint's Day, a day in which every saint would be honored.

A few hundred years down the line, its date was changed so that it would fall on the same day as Samhein.

As part of the custom of All Saints Day, people would dress up in a costume that represented a saint, and young men would go door-to-door begging for food to feed the town's poor.

As the years went by, the customs of Samhein and All Saints Day began to merge and were no longer considered two separate festivals, but rather one joint holiday called All Hollow's Day.

When the Irish population began immigrating to America in the mid-1800s, they brought with them the many European customs of All Hollow's Day. These customs combined with an existing American tradition called "Autumn's Play."

"Autumn's Play" is a celebration in which people gather to sing, feast, light bonfires and watch children parade in costume.

These two festivals shaped present-day Halloween and all of the spooky phenomena that we enjoy today.

hope this helps, now you can say you know the true meening ....
have fun and get me some candy..lol

Answer 6

There is a history to Halloween, but currently it is simply a fun day to dress up in silly costumes and share treats. The history itself is interesting but those meanings expired some time ago and we should be getting over it by now. It's one of those things we just don't need to take seriously anymore, except to have some serious, safe, and creative fun.

Answer 7

Hal‧low‧een  /ˌhæləˈwin, -oʊˈin, ˌhɒl-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[hal-uh-ween, -oh-een, hol-] Pronunciation Key

–noun the evening of October 31; the eve of All Saints' Day; Allhallows Eve: observed esp. by children in costumes who solicit treats, often by threatening minor pranks.

Answer 8

for me Halloween is reminiscing the memories of the people who died.the Halloween is the time for us to visit them in their grave and to pray that they are with God,safe and happy.

Answer 9

It is Samhain, the turning of time that is celebrated by all of us who follow the old religion.

Answer 10

hmm.........According to Celts.....summer is over on 31st october(Samhain*) after that time they beleived that spirits of the deads could pass to our world...(beleif: in that time the spiritual world getting closer to our world) people start to wear weird clothes......to scare them...or...some people do this to remember the ancestors......