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Posted: 3:57 PM Oct 15, 2006
Last Updated: 3:27 PM Sep 8, 2008
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Ancient
Origins |
Halloween's origins date back to the
ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1.
This day marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the
winter, a time of year that was associated with human death.
On October 21 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the
ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
During the celebration, people wore costumes, typically consisting of
animal heads and skins and attempted to tell each other's
fortunes.
By the 800s, Christianity's influence
spread into Celtic lands. Pope Boniface IV assigned November 1 All
Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. The celebration was
also called All-hallows, which has now turned into Halloween. |
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Trick-or-Treating |
The American tradition of
"trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All
Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens
would beg for food and families would give them pastries called
"soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the
family's dead relatives. |
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Pumpkin
Carving |
People have been making jack o' lanterns
at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth
about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story,
Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his
name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the
Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their
drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it
into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from
changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil,
under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that,
should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again
tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit.
While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the
tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil
promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years. |
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Source: Dauphin County Library
System (www.dcls.org) |
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