Halloween’s pagan origin, Christian elements
Halloween, one of the most popular holidays in the U.S., is an originally pagan celebration that has been subject to many cultural and religious influences.
In about the 5th century B.C., Celts, living in Great Britain and Northern France, celebrated the new year on the eve of Nov. 1 with a Druid festival honoring Samhain, the god of the dead.
The Druids believed the dead would return to their homes and cause mischief or harm unless they were appropriately welcomed, which some historians believe may have led to trick or treating today.
Observances included fires, according to some sources, to welcome the dead and, according to others, to frighten evil spirits. Sacrifices of crops, animals and humans were a part of Druid custom.
The Celts also dressed in costumes, originally the heads and skins of animals. While the Halloween connection to ghosts, ghouls and skeletons is obviously related to the Celtic belief that the spirits of the dead roamed about on Oct. 31, at some point, the Celts began dressing in terrifying costumes to frighten off the bad spirits.
When the Romans invaded Britain in the 1st century, they brought with them Pomona Day, named for the goddess of the harvest, which was celebrated at about the same time. Eventually, the two festivals mixed.
The Christian influence on Halloween, and its name, stems from somewhere between 600 and 800 A.D. with Catholic Church celebrations of Nov. 1 as All Saint’s Day, also called All Hallows or Hallowmas. The evening before became Hallow’s Eve.
Later, the Catholic Church declared Nov. 2 All Souls Day, a day to pray on behalf of the dead.
Eventually, the Celtic, Roman and Christian observances merged.
Halloween apparently landed on U.S. shores in the early 1800s with Irish immigrants who brought with them the Jack-O-Lantern, originally a carved turnip or potato.
As a U.S. holiday, Halloween has lost most of its religious connections, but some Christians object to the observances because of the pagan origins.
(More information about the origin and customs of Halloween is available through IVCCs Jacobs Library.)
10/29/98 the Apache