Frauds, Fakes, Or Fabulous
Oct 12, 2009 11:24 am US/Eastern
Halloween: You Can Thank The Celts
jm
(CBS4)
If you love dressing up for Halloween, decorating the front yard with tombstones and monsters, and scaring the 'snickers' out of trick-or-treaters – you can thank the Celts.
According to legend, Halloween – or All Hallows Eve – came from the Druid fire festival holiday of Samhain. It was an ancient harvest festival celebrated in the fall in Ireland and Great Britain to mark the end of summer. It was also time many believe the spirit of the dead would revisit their homes, and ghosts, goblins, witches and demons were believed to be roam the Earth for just one day.
During the holiday, gifts and food were given to the spirit world to insure that next year's crop would be bountiful. (Rumor has it sometimes even sacrifices were made.) It was also a time to communicate with the dead and receive wisdoms from one's ancestors insure prosperity.
When the Roman Empire spread to Ireland and Great Britain, so did Christianity. Church leaders who wished to convert the pagans adapted some of their holidays to keep them in the proverbial fold. November 1st thus became "All Hallows Day" or "All Saints Day." Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown.
According to TheHolidaySpot.com, the "All Hallows Day" festival was originally celebrated on February 21 – which was the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1.
October 31st, on the other hand, became "All Hallows Eve" – or Halloween – a night to remember the dead.
The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness. According to HappyHalloween.at, folktales of the time told stories of how the dead sometimes lived with the "Fairy Folk," who lived in the numerous mounds that dotted the landscape of Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain.
The fairies were often considered hostile and dangerous to humans because they were seen as being resentful of men taking over their lands. During Samhain festival night, they would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with God or with Lucifer in their dispute, and thus, were condemned to walk the earth until judgment day.
HappyHalloween.at
Many also believe it was during this time the tradition of trick or treating got its start. During Samhain, some people would imitate fairies and go house to house begging for treats. If some failed to give them something, or turned them away, the "fairy" would play a practical joke on them. Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessings of the "good folk" for the coming year.
However, others say the tradition begain in Great Britain.
The poor would go begging and the housewives would give them special treats called " soulcakes". This was called going " souling" and the " soulers" would promise to pay for the dead for a treat. As time went on, children became the beggars, and they were given apples, bun and money. And as time passed, pioneer children would shout " Trick-Or-Treat" and housewives would give them candy to keep from being tricked.
AssociatedContent.com
When Irish and the British came to the Americas they brought many of their traditions with them – including the remanents of the Celtic festival of Samhain, or All Hallows Eve.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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