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Halloween History
Halloween History
Halloween History
Halloween is known and loved today as a time to wear costumes, go door to door asking for candy,
and watch monster movies. But the holiday's origins go back centuries to the enactment of All
Saints' Day, a Christian holiday. Along the way, it has also picked up traditions from Samhain, a
Celtic festival celebrating the start of winter.
Samhain
November 1st also marks an ancient Celtic festival named Samhain (pronounced sah-win), or
"summer's end." While little is known for certain about its original observances, it appears to have
been a pagan calendar feast on the opposite side of the year from Beltane. (Some otherwise
reputable sources claim that Samhain is the name for a Celtic god of the dead. This is
unquestionably false.)
There has been much speculation about the relationship between the Halloween†“ All
Saints†“ All Souls holidays and Samhain. Some believe that the Christian observances were
deliberately moved to November in order to take over the pagan holiday. There is, however, no
evidence for this. Others suggest that the pagan celebration may have gained its associations with
the dead from the Christian holidays, but this is also speculation at best.
Coming to America
The modern observances of Halloween are more recent than one might expect. The holiday had a
rebirth in North America between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, probably through an influx
of Irish immigrants. They brought with them traditions that combined features of the Celtic and
Christian holidays, and celebrated with feasting, divinations, and mischief making.
Jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating in costume both became Halloween fixtures in North
America, and have since been exported back to Europe.
For more on modern Halloween observances, see Halloween Traditions.
Backlash
There has been a backlash against Halloween by several groups in recent years. Some Christians
object to its allegedly pagan origins, or to what they see as its celebration of witches and other
"evil powers." Some neo-pagans object to the alleged Christian takeover of their holiday, or to
what they see as a distorted, negative view of witches and magic. And some simply don't think it's
safe for children to go out after dark taking candy from strangers. (The last of those groups often
proposes safer celebrations.)
Still, as long as there are cold autumn nights, a steady supply of candy corn, and radio stations to
play "The Monster Mash," there seems no danger of Halloween going away.