where did holloween originate?

Question

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Answer 1

Ancient Origins
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 2

History of Halloween, like any other festival's history is inspired through traditions that have transpired through ages from one generation to another.In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'sanctify'. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherians used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown. They used to consider it with all solemnity as one of the most significant observances of the Church year. And Catholics, all and sundry, was obliged to attend Mass. The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1.

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Answer 3

Hallowe'en, name applied to the evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of Hallowmas, Allhallows, or All Saints' Day. The observances connected with Hallowe'en are thought to have originated among the ancient Druids, who believed that on that evening, Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids customarily lit great fires on Hallowe'en, apparently for the purpose of warding off all these spirits. Among the ancient Celts, Hallowe'en was the last evening of the year and was regarded as a propitious time for examining the portents of the future. The Celts also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes on that evening. After the Romans conquered Britain, they added to Hallowe'en features of the Roman harvest festival held on November 1 in honour of Pomona, goddess of the fruits of trees.

The Celtic tradition of lighting fires on Hallowe'en survived until modern times in Scotland and Wales, and the concept of ghosts and witches is still common to all Hallowe'en observances. Traces of the Roman harvest festival survive in the custom, prevalent in both the United States and Great Britain, of playing games involving fruit, such as ducking for apples in a tub of water. Of similar origin is the use of hollowed-out pumpkins carved to resemble grotesque faces and lit by candles placed inside.

Answer 4

Halloween originated in Celtic countries. Its the night between the old year and the new, belonging to neither.
The custom of going door to door may originate from an American custom that was practiced at Thanksgiving around the turn of the 19th century.

Answer 5

Hallowe'en, % out performed to the evening time of October 31, previous the Christian night meal of Hallowmas, Allhallows, or All Saints' Day. The observances related with Hallowe'en are thought to have originated quite a few the historic Druids, who believed that on that evening time, Saman, the lord of the ineffective, stated as forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids almost continually lit friendly fires on Hallowe'en, it form of feels that for the rationalization for protecting off those style of spirits. between the historic Celts, Hallowe'en was the in basic terms top evening time of the three hundred and sixty 5 days and was considered as a propitious time for examining the portents of the long-term. The Celts additionally believed that the spirits of the ineffective revisited their earthly residences on that evening time. After the Romans conquered Britain, they extra to Hallowe'en factors of the Roman harvest opposition hung on November a million in honour of Pomona, goddess of the culmination of wood. The Celtic lifestyle of lighting fixtures furniture fires on Hallowe'en survived till ultimately modern cases in Scotland and Wales, and the belief of ghosts and witches maintains to be classic to all Hallowe'en observances. strains of the Roman harvest opposition stay to tell the story interior the custom, oftentimes happening in each u . s . of america and great Britain, of playing video games pertaining to to fruit, such as ducking for apples in a tub of water. Of an comparable commencing up is the use of hollowed-out pumpkins carved to resemble grotesque faces and lit with the help of way of candles located interior.

Answer 6

Halloween represents a blend of cultures, past and present and provides us a wonderful window into the beliefs and practices of our ancestors.

Halloween has been celebrated for over 2000 years and was an important annual festival to the ancient Celts. The Druids regarded November 1 as New Year’s Day. It was known as Samhain, (pronounced sow’-en, literally meaning the end of summer) and was a time for celebrating the year’s harvest and for honoring the dead. The Celts believed that all laws of time and space were suspended during this time, allowing spirits to roam the earth and intermingle with the living, so they built raging fires and made offerings to appease these restless spirits.

Portions of the Celtic holiday eventually morphed into Christian culture after the Romans conquered the Celts. Conscious efforts were made to bring the Celts into the practice of Catholicism. In the 8th century, the church moved All Saints Day, the holiday designated to honor Christian martyrs, from May to November 1 with the hope of converting the Druids, who would associate this observance with their own ancient rituals honoring the dead. The word itself, Halloween, is a corruption of the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve, the day preceding All Hallows Day.

Traditional Halloween symbols (witches, black cats, pumpkins, candles, masks, parties and pranks) appeared in the U.S. during the late 1800's. In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants poured into America as a result of the potato famine. With this sudden influx of people, the holiday of Druidism found its new home on alien shores.

The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul. Originally the Irish would carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead.

When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.

Bats, owls and other nocturanal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween, were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.

Black cats have religious origins as well. Black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future. During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.

Witches are inextricably linked to Halloween. Witches and sorcery play integral parts in almost all of the world’s traditions. For thousands of years, shaman and witch doctors have called on the aid of spirits through incantations and offerings to protect and heal fellow tribe members, crops and livestock.

In the early Christian era, the church was tolerant of the local sages and wise women who used charms, herbs and incants to influence the quality of life. They were regarded as harmless relics of the old religion and were found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all believed in their abilities. But in the late 13th century, a growing opposition to the old ways began to dominate the mindset. These women came to be considered in league with the devil, stemming from a precept that magic was the manifestation of evil.

Halloween history is one of sacrifices, religious traditions, and folklore. While it seems strange to understand the motivation of these ancient actions, it is good to know the roots of our current practices of Halloween