Print |
E-mail to a friend
NEWS
Jay O'Dell: Halloween evolved from many cultures
This is the first of two columns on the origins of Halloween.
Halloween is a custom and also one of the oldest holidays that is celebrated annually in many parts of the world.
It has evolved into a traditional holiday that is celebrated typically on Oct. 31 in the U.S. and many other countries, but its origin was more than 2000 years ago with influences from many European cultures having a role in its final development.
Celtic Festival Influence
The Halloween holiday and its associated customs originated in Europe, within Great Britain and Northern France from the Celts. The Celtic people worshipped nature which had many gods, the sun god being the most popular because it made their crops grow.
Celts celebrated the New Year starting on Nov. 1 with a 3 day festival to mark the ending of the "season of the sun". On Oct. 31, following crop harvest, the cooking fires were extinguished. The next day Celtic priests, called Druids, met on a forested oak hilltop (as the oak tree was sacred). They lighted new fires with crops and animals offered as sacrifices. Celts paraded in costumes of skins and animal heads. The festival was called Samhain (Swo-en).
The next morning, the Druids gave a burning ember to each family for starting new cooking fires to keep their homes warm and free from evil spirits during the "season of darkness" (winter). The annual Celtic festivals held more than 2,000 years ago would eventually evolve into the first Halloween.
Roman Holiday Influence
During the first century following the birth of Christ, the Romans invaded and conquered Great Britain making it and the Celtic inhabitants part of the Roman Empire. During Roman occupation, they brought several of their own customs and festivals, one being known as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens.
As with the Celtic festivals, it was celebrated at the end of the harvest season around Nov. 1. Over hundreds of years of Roman rule, the Celtic Samhain ("Sow-en") festival and Roman Pomona Day became combined into one major fall holiday.
Practices changed over time, becoming more ritualized with belief in a Spirit declining and the practice of dressing like hobgoblins, ghosts and witches increasing into a more defined ceremonial role.
Catholic Church Influence
The Catholic Church celebrations of All Hallows, also called Hallowmas and All Saint's Day which honored the saints was held on Nov. 1. All Souls Day was later created on Nov. 2 as another 9th century Catholic religious holiday to honor the dead. People celebrated with fires and dressed as saints, angels and devils.
On the eve of All Hallows, honoring the saints, people also continued to celebrate All Souls Day and past practices of the Celtic Samhain and Roman Pomona Day festivals. The combined holiday eventually became known in sequence as All Hallow Even, All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en and Halloween, its current name.
Customs from all 4 holidays (one Celtic, one Roman, two Catholic) became mixed with the holiday being celebrated on Oct 31.
Jay O'Dell was a former teacher of history and other subjects in public schools and college. Write to P. O. Box 469, Lavalette, WV 25535.
