Where did Haloween originate? Why?

Question

Just Curious. Seemed like a good question.

Answer 1

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

It originated with the Wicca religion; a special day of celebration for winter since everything that was created was "resting". With the Druids, another religion, October 31st was considered the only night that the demons from hell could be released to gather human souls, so someone got the wonderful idea of everyone dressing up like demons and really scary things and such so the demons couldn't recognize them as human and would leave them alone. The day after Halloween is a sacred holiday, called the Day of the Dead, which is practiced in Mexico. It is the only day that you can speak with your beloved family and friends that have passed on.

Answer 3

first of all i'm a instructor yet in addition a Catholic guy, and am analyzing to be a priest. many human beings will say it replaced into began by potential of the Catholic Church which isn't actual. The call Halloween replaced into invinted by potential of the Church, call All Hollows Eve. It replaced into in honor of the day after, November a million that's all Saints Day. fact is the day we call halloween originated in eire somewhat over 2000 years in the past as (samhain) which replaced right into a pagan pageant, it replaced into the top of summer time and the Celtic way of honoring the ineffective through fact the gods of light went away and the gods of nighttime took over. It replaced into the at that factor of three hundred and sixty 5 days that the ineffective might want back to earth and walk between the residing, it rather is how the custom of wearing costumes got here approximately. The Celts theory that the Spirits of the ineffective might take their infants to the after lifestyles while they left so as that they dressed them as much as appear as if they have been ineffective so the spirits does no longer worry them.

Answer 4

Halloween originated in Ireland in the early 18th century. All hallows eve is the celebration the day before All Saints Day and was celebrated by many European pagan groups as the day of the dead.

Answer 5

it originally celebrated by the Celtic people however, at present this wonderful tradition is well known to the children all over the world including the United States.

Answer 6

Back then during the middle ages or sumtin.. people there believed and used witch craft and magic. They would usually threaten people not to cross them. People later on called them witches (thats where they got the whole costume idea). Since those "witches" or people always threaten farmers, they threaten to them with a curse if they don't give them food. Thats why they say "TRICK OR TREAT"

Answer 7

it originated because people wanted to commercialize a religious day and because the idea of remembering our loved ones fades into just a motion that needs candy to recall.

Answer 8

it was indians that celebrated and dressed up to ward off evil spirits on october 31st of every year. or some people in that origin

Answer 9

Around.

Answer 10

it originated from the pagan holiday called the day of the saints or something like that. it was the time when they honored those who died.