What is Halloween, anyway?!?

The Unusual Celebration Called Halloween!

Apparently in some human cultures October is the month in which people celebrate this strange thing called Halloween. I don't quite grasp the concept but I will attempt to explain the tradition.

The roots of this strange holiday trace back thousands of years. The ancient civilization known as the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. This is the end of summer harvest time and the beginning of winter. This time of year was often associated with human death as many people succumbed to the elements during the blustery winter months.

The ancient Celts believed that on the night before the new year (celebrated on November 1st), the boundaries between the dead and the living were blurred. On October 31, they celebrated "Samhain", an evening they believed the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. During this celebration they wore costumes, had parades and made huge sacred bonfires in which animal sacrifices were made in an attempt to keep the evil at bay. (I am soooooo glad I didn't live back then because I would not want to be sacrificed in one of those ceremonies!).

In more modern times and with the influence of Christianity into the Celtic lands, the November 1st celebration became a bit more civil and was renamed as "All Saint's Day" or "All Hallows Day". At this time, October 31st became known as "All Hallow's Eve". Additionally, November 2nd became a celebration known as "All Soul's Day" which is in honor of the souls who have parted our world. Together, these 3 days of celebration became known as Hallowmas.

Eventually, October 31st came to be known as "Halloween" (derived from "Hallow's Eve"). Today, it is believed that the American tradition of "trick-or-treating" on Halloween dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. Poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them bakery called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. Distribution of these "soul cakes" were encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for earthbound spirits of the dead.

On October 31st (Halloween) it was believed that ghosts come back to the earthly world. People feared an encounter with these ghosts so to avoid being recognized they would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. To keep these earthbound ghosts away from their homes people would place bowls of food outside their doors to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter. From this ancient tradition, trick-or-treating was born.

American children dress in costume and sometimes travel in packs (not unlike my own ancestors!) going from house to house and asking for "treats" (again, not unlike what I do today!). The homeowner reciprocates with candy, gum or money in an effort to avoid being "tricked" by these costumed kiddies. I will also state here that I, for one, have NEVER tricked anyone who would offer a treat to me - just keep that in mind for future reference!

As the season nears it's end please use precaution and sensibility but above all, ALWAYS give those doggie treats out by the hand fulls!

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