WOOSH! A gust of wind. Orange leaves slowly fall to the ground. Fall, one of the most peaceful, family-filled seasons of the year. Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Veterans Days, and most importantly, Halloween.
The majority of religions frown upon this day, but most aren’t aware of its origin as a religious holiday. The Celtics (typically of Samhain religion) dedicated November 1st as a day to honor all of their Saints and called it Saints day. They took that day to dress as their Saints and surround a bonfire in hopes of warding off ghosts. The evening before was known to them as Hallows Eve, which later became Halloween. Over the course of time, Halloween grew the new traditions we know today such as trick or treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, dressing-up in costumes, and gatherings.
The Celtics of the Celt religion lived among us about 2,000 years ago. The religion was based in the United Kingdom, France (specifically the northern area), and Ireland. They viewed their calendar differently than we do now. They celebrated Saints Day on November 1st since they considered that day to be the new year. Over time the Christian religion arose and blended with the Celts. By the 5th Century, all those who were of the Celts religion converted to Christianity, but the Celtics legacy still stood. In the 20th Century the religion played a big role as a stepping stone of a new religious movement called Celtic neopaganism. The Celts’ religion had an influenced mythology. Although the Celt religion fell many years ago, it still has many effects on us now.
Similar to the Celtics festival of Samhain, a pre-Christian festival symbolizes “the ending of summer.” The ending of summer usually took place on the first day of winter, where people would come together in the morning with their comfy blankets and host a bonfire. This bonfire was used to spook away all evil spirits that surrounded them. Once Christianity took over, all of the spooky practices of the Celtics festival became less common. Over time, modernization and evolution turned these Celtic festivals into known Halloween traditions.
Enough with the origin of Halloween, but it’s time for a HALLOWEEN FUN FACT! One key decoration for Halloween are Jack-o’lanterns, but did you know that they weren’t originally made out of pumpkin? They used to be carved out of beets, turnips, and potatoes. Jack-o-lanterns were originally used to spook away the shady characters like Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack originates from an old story passed on from the Irish immigrants that came to the U.S, so the next time you carve a Jack-o’lantern, remember that back then you would’ve been carving a turnip!
