What the real story behind Halloween?

Answer 1

There is a lot to it:

Pagans and Druids viewed it as Samhain (Sawaine) OCT 31, a day they believed that the line dividing the dead and the living was the thinnest. So they thought that by dressing up as the dead they would "blend in" or not be noticed by the other dead, also carving pumpkins was thought to ward the dead away from a house.

But the Catholic belief wanted to counter that day with a holy day that they called "All Hallows Eve" OCT 31 & "All Saints Day" Nov 1st . A day to honer the saints that have not already been honored. It was called "All Hallows Eve" but was adopted to be called Halloween combining Hallows & Eve to say Halloween.

Thats the short end of the story on the history of Halloween.

Answer 2

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
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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 3

Halloween, known as Allhallows Eve, is the day before the day of the dead celebrated on October the 31st. The day of dead called All Saints Day on November the first, is also part of the traditions of Halloween. "Halloween originated as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain with Irish, Scots, Welsh and other immigrants transporting" their versions of the old tradition to North America in the 19th century.

Europeans many "cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent" For example, the "Catalan mythology about witches, and the Irish tales of the Sídhe."

There was three ways that 19th-century America observed the holiday. The Scottish-American and Irish-American societies had "dinners and balls celebrating their heritages, with perhaps a recitation of Robert Burns' poem "Halloween" or a telling of Irish legends." As for home parties, that were centered around "children's activities, such as bobbing for apples and various divination games, particularly about future romance. And finally, pranks and mischief were common on Halloween."

There are a couple places known to make this holiday a very special day, which it is indeed. "Anoka, Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World," celebrates with a large civic parade." The most obvious, "Salem, Massachusetts, also has laid claim to the title, though Salem has tried to separate itself from its history of persecuting witchcraft." They do however get tourist because of the Salem witch trails but on Halloween is when it's most popular.

Answer 4

The Catholic answer was pretty dead on.
American Halloween also draws from Mexico's Dios del Muerto or day of the dead, the one day of the year when the spirits of the deceased can come back. It's in alot of other cultures around the world. Like almost everything in America, we're a big melting pot, so Halloween doesnt have one "true" story.

Answer 5

Halloween originates from the Celtic festival of Samhian and the two Roman festivals of Feralia and Pomona. Christian later changed the name of Samhian to All-hallows Eve. Halloween came to America in the 19th century ; it was a cultural holiday for Scottish-Americans and Irish-Americans. It did not become a commericalized holiday in the United States until the early 20th century.

Answer 6

In Celtic traditions the new calendar year started on November 1st, and October 31st was a Celtic celebration of Harvest, called Samhain. The Catholic Church, in hopes of winning converts, adapted so-called "pagan holidays" to Catholic beliefs. November 1st was declared All Saints Day, or "All Hallows Day" and October 31st was referred to as "all hallows eve". Many modern Halloween customs are drawn from traditional Samhain customs: It was believed that the veil between this world and the netherworld was at it's thinnest on October 31st, and all that the souls of those who had departed could break the veil and return to earth. People who were brave enough to venture out would disguise themselves as spirits in hopes to confuse the real spirits. Other Halloween traditions that are likely to have developed from Celtic traditions are Trick-or-treat, apple bobbing, and Jack-o-lanterns. Many citizens of Mexico also celebrate a "Day of the Dead" on (or around) the 2nd of November.

Answer 7

as daniel said. it is a pagan holiday still practiced today by pagans and wiccans. it was the night that The God passes into death and the veil between the land of the dead and the land of the living was most thin.

when Christianity took over they couldn't stop the people from practicing the traditions of the holiday so they deamonized the god and said that the holiday was evil.

Answer 8

What I have heard is that back in the day on All Hollows Eve everyone dressed up in scary costumes to scare the evil spirits away. Thats all I know.

Answer 9

I want to know that too, please someone sensibly answer the guys question.^:)^