While in today's world we celebrate Halloween by carving pumpkins,
dressing up as our favorite spooky characters, and scoring the best candy around, many people do not realize it, but the roots go much deeper.
The origins begin over 2,500 years ago, with the celebration of the Pagan holiday Samhain.
Samhain was a holiday to celebrate! The end of the harvest, the culling of the herds,
and the backbreaking work of finishing the fields for the year, had come to an end.
The darkness of winter was upon them which meant more time in the home was to begin.
Samhain was the last of the warmer weather festivities until the new year and preparations began.
With the rise of Catholicism, the reigning Pope decided that by embracing Pagan holidays,
and giving them a religious tone, was the best approach to increase and appease those that had converted.
The Church decided to integrate All Saints' Day on November 1st, to honor the Catholic Saints in hopes to replace Samhain.
However, the hold of the Samhain festival remained with most people.
The long-held belief of dressing up to repel spirits and leaving items for them prevailed.
This was all based on the belief that this time of year was when the living could see the dead!
That the veil between the world of the living and the dead was at its thinnest of the year allowing the impossible to seem so.
With a cloud of eerie mystery, the eve of All Saints' Day became to be known as All Hallows Eve.
As time progressed the name was shortened to Halloween, which is how we know the holiday today.
Interested in the history of jack o'lanterns, wearing costumes, and what Halloween looks like
in mordern times? Keep reading!
Curious how many years ago 2,500 was? Click Calculate!
