Where did Halloween come from? (explain so that a middle schooler can understand please)?

Answer 1

I happen to think a "middle schooler" can understand a lot..
Here is the story:
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

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.

Answer 3

Halloween is and has been derived from all Hallows-eve. All hallows-eve was a pagan Holiday until the Vatican came around and changed it to a christian holiday and thus was a christian day of feast and prayer. But now after all the twisting of verbal passing/oral traditions it has now become known as Halloween. Mexico use it as day of the dead or "Dia De Los Muertos" they celebrate it on the 1 and 2 of November. They used there kids to dress up as ghost of dead spirits and then we got a hold of it and now look at it totally wrong.

Answer 4

The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening of/before "All Hallows' Day"[1] (also known as "All Saints' Day"). The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints Day from May 13 to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset,in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although we now consider All Saints (or Hallows) day to be on the day after Halloween, they were, at that time, considered to be the same day.

Answer 5

During the time when most people were druids, they believed that everyone who died during the year went to their final resting place on October 31st. On that night it was said that all of the dead spirits walked the earth in transit to their destination.

Now, from what I understand, everyone left food and treats and drinks out for the spirits of the dead to partake of while on their journey. Believe it or not, this is still the practice is some parts of central and south America, such as Mexico.

Any way, as the times went on and things change with new religions coming into play, people started dressing up to scare the bad spirits away.

The practice of carving pumpkins, I am told, actually started in Ireland. The difference was that they did not have pumpkins so they carved out potatoes and gourds. It was after the tradition was brought here to the U.S. that pumpkins were used.

I hope I have helped some.

Answer 6

It was derived from Celtic Ireland. They believed on certain days spirits were allowed to roam ( both good/bad ) They dressed up in costumes and made loud noises to keep the spirits away. Trick or Treating came about later and the Jack-o-latern has a tale of its own too.

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Answer 7

probable because from the earliest age of their life the position they could understand what is going on round them, society, contained in the kind of action pictures, television, books, verbal substitute, even purely searching at human beings on the streets, is telling them that sex and love and courting is the biggest element contained in the international. such as the way it glorifies drug use and crime. there is surely no longer something incorrect or "unusual" about a guy and a woman being purely common acquaintances, precisely how females receives mutually and luxuriate in one yet another's business corporation all being females. further, purely because society "expects" something of someone, it doesn't make that element both perfect or needed or a "ought to do." As a own get mutually, in case you pick to take heed to about one, when I went off to varsity, I very right now met a outstanding female, in ideas, body, and soul. We were "boyfriend and girlfriend" for 2 years, and then we were given engaged, and some months later, as a junior in college, we were married. What made us unusual? something that even our close acquaintances gave us a problematical time about? We had chosen now to not have any closer actual courting previous your worry-free "making out" kissing till when we were married. That became an really "unusual element" at the moment, or perhaps extra so now. even though it does no longer make it incorrect. you ought to do what you're comfortable with, and by no ability what human beings imagine that you ought to do. If human beings provide you with a problematical time about it, purely in a well mannered way brush it off and bypass alongside.

Answer 8

Halloween was origianally the day of the dead. In some countries, they had a ritual in which children dress up as "ghosts" or the spirits of the dead people, and adults gave these "ghosts" small presents such as coins, food, or small toys, as a tribute to thier dead ancestors. This eventually evolved into the "trick - or - treating" we have today.

Answer 9

Halloweens origins go back to the ancient festival of Samhain... to read the history in it's entirety look at the link I am posting for you. It is easy to understand.

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=713&display_order=1&mini_id=1076

Answer 10

Ancient Celtic traditions having to do with nature, seasons, harvests and communicating with the dead.