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History
and Legends of Halloween
By Cheri Sicard
 The
word Halloween has its origins in the Catholic Church,
coming from a contraction of Hallowed Eve. November
1, or All Saints Day, is a Catholic day of observance
in honor of saints, but the history of Halloween
goes much farther back than the Catholics or the
name.
In
5th century BC Ireland, summer officially ended
on October 31. The Celts believed that on this day
ghosts walked and mingled with the living. The holiday
was called Samhain (sow-en) which marked the third
and final harvest of the year, the Celtic New Year.
The
reason the Celts celebrated this day as New Year,
rather than Yule like other European pagans, was
probably due to the fact the that the sun is at
its lowest point on the horizon, as measured by
the ancient standing stones of Britain and Ireland.
The
Druids sacrificed to their deities by burning victims
in wicker cages. Prior to the ceremony, all other
fires extinguished and were then re-lit from the
sacrificial fire.
Today
modern pagans and Wiccans celebrate Halloween or
Samhain as the New Year, the day when the veil between
the living and the dead is at its thinnest. The
pagan god dies at Samhain, only to be re-born again
at Yule. For these pagans, Samhain is a day for
remembering and honoring the dead and celebrating
the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
Pope
Boniface was instrumental in superimposing a Christian
festival over the pagan traditions. Originally,
the holidays took place on May 13, but a century
later, Pope Gregory III changed it to the present
November 1. October 31 was no longer the last day
of the year and Samhain was reassigned to the Feast
of All Saints.
It is interesting to note that many of the customs
surrounding the observance of the Christian All
Souls Day also center around accessibility to the
dead. In fact, many customs with their origins in
pagan traditions have survived to the present. In
addition to the souls of the dead alleged to be
roaming about, the devil, witches and other assorted
monsters and goblins are believed to be at the peak
of their supernatural powers.
In
Europe, Halloween eventually evolved into a celebration
for children. "Ghosts" went from door to door asking
for treats, or else a trick would be played on the
owners of the home. When millions of Irish immigrated
to the United States in the 1840s the tradition
followed them.
Cheri
Sicard is the editor of FabulousFoods.com, a favorite
net destination for recipes, cooking tutorials,
holiday and entertaining ideas, celebrity chef interviews,
cookbook reviews and more. Sign up for their free
cooking newsletters! http://www.fabulousfoods.com
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