When Halloween started? (in the past)?

Question

When Halloween started? (in the past)

I was really wondering about this....

Answer 1

Originally, the Celts celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-ANE), which means "November." It was a celebration of the Harvest and of the thinning of the veil between the world of the living and of the dead. It was believed that it became so thin on this night, that the souls that had past the last year could come back and walk in the world of the living.

People would have a "dumb dinner," which was served backwards (dessert first, appetizers last), and in silence. There would be an extra place setting and a chair left empty to invite a spirit guest to join them. Vegetables (commonly turnips) were carved into lanterns, lit with consecrated candles, and placed in windows to guide friendly spirits to their homes.

Treats and leftovers from the harvests were left on doorsteps or buried for passing spirits, which is one tradition that fed the practice of Trick or Treating.

Bonfires were lit to appease the gods who were thought to control the patterns of the sun, and were asked to ensure the returning of longer days after winter was over.

Romans also had traditions of their own at this time of year, and honored Pomona, the goddess of fruits and harvest. From them, we were given the tradition of bobbing for apples.

Later, when the Catholic Church started to rival Pagan religions in popularity, they created Halloween, by taking commonly practiced Pagan traditions and tweaking them a bit for themselves. Church members would go door to door begging for "soul cakes," which in return for these treats, they would promise to pray for dead loved ones of the household to ensure that they would reach Heaven.

Over time, traditions have changed more and more, including the abandonment of Halloween by adults, making it widely accepted as a children's holiday.

Answer 2

I begin setting up my yard haunt at the Autumnal Equinox, though I will begin putting out elements of my massive Halloween yard haunt on September 22 this year, a day before fall begins. Initially, I will put out only those items that complement the fall season, including three scarecrows, several cornstalk bundles, numerous hay bales, a murder of crows, a few owls, a dozen or so pumpkins and at least as many friendly jack-o-lanterns. I'll also light the display so that people can see it at night. A week later I will begin assembling the other scarier pieces of my yard haunt. As I work full-time--I do not have the luxury of setting up my enormous Halloween display during the week--I must set it up early or I won't have time to complete it by Halloween. The people in my neighborhood have come to expect this from me, and I believe most would tell you they look forward to it. I have decorated the exterior of my home for several years now and it has grown bigger each year. I attract hundreds of visitors before the holiday, curious about what changes I've made, and scores of trick-or-treaters Halloween night. I hope your yard haunt goes well! Trick or treat! Happy Halloween!

Answer 3

Halloween was initially called All Hallows Eve. It was a pagan holiday. It was thought to be when the doorway between the living and the dead was most easily opened. The spirits could come back and forth between the land of the livign and the land of the dead. Then later in time, in Ireland, they talked of a man named Jack who was a trickster tht he was forbidden to stay in hell, so he would wonder the Earth, then people started carving turnips and calling them jack-o-lanterns. When they came to the america's they turned to pumpkins.

Answer 4

the druids thought that oct 31st evil spirits would come and possess their body so they put on masks to hide their identity( costumes).. then they would all go into the woods and ''knock on wood'' (trick-or-treating)

andd bobbing for apples comes from the way a girl would choose her husband..


sorry but some more info i just remembered..

they would have a fire and would have to keep it burning all night.. they ate poppys maybe.. im not sure but it was something that made them hallucinate and when the woman were sweeping to keep the fire going, and the people ''tripping'' saw it as them flying on broomsticks
everything evolved from there