History of Halloween Part 1

In celebration of Halloween, we will be doing a four-part mini-series on the history of Halloween.  Each week will have new and interesting facts and information about where the traditions of the holiday originated, what customs have carried into our celebration today, and much more.  Continue reading to find out where Halloween, as we don't know it, began!

Part 1:  It Began with Sahmain.

The origins of Halloween begin with the Celtic festival known as Samhain (sah-win).  The festival was used to mark the end of the harvest season, and to prepare for the upcoming winter.  The celebration would begin at sunset on October 31 and end at sunset on November 1^st.  It was believed in Gaelic culture that the time between these two dates that the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest, allowing those who had passed to enter the living world once again.

Some spirits, like those of deceased family members, were welcomed.  Feasts were held in homes in hopes of beckoning forth lost loved ones.  Other spirits, such as the Aos Si (fairies that wreaked havoc on crops and livestock during the winter months) however, were warded off with bonfires. 

 

There are a handful of Celtic traditions from Samhain that have been Americanized into the current Halloween culture.  Are you curious as to what those are?  If so, check back next week for part two of The History of Halloween!