Article Title: "The Origin of Halloween"

Author: Tony Liddell

Society Membership Level: Field Investigation Team

Copyright: Tony Liddell

Year Published: 2004

Miscellaneous: Sources: The Book of Hallowe'en by Ruth Edna Kelley; The History Channel: Ancient Origins; The Free Dictionary: Halloween; Celtic Spirit: Samhain

Halloween is celebrated on the evening of the 31st October. The term "Halloween" is short for All Hallows Even, with hallow being Old English for 'saint'. Halloween is the eve of All Saints' Day, celebrated on the 1st November; the latter has been celebrated on that date since at least 837AD when Pope Gregory IV ordered its church-wide observance.

It is thought by many religious historians that All Saints Day is the end result of a number of earlier commemorations for numerous martyrs, eventually resulting in one feast or celebration per year for all saints and martyrs. When the practice of the individual commemorations actually began is historically unknown. Looking further back in time, it is easy to see that many of the customs practiced for All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day pre-date Christian influence and belong to much different religions.

In most countries Halloween is strictly religious in nature, but here in the United Kingdom and especially over in America customs are quite different. Historians have linked many of the practices seen today with the Roman Festivals of Pomona (Goddess of Fruit and Trees) and that of Feralia when the Romans tradition-ally commemorated their dead. The idea that spirits wander the Earth on Halloween night has been likened to the pagan festival of Samhain, or summer's end, celebrated on November 1st. It is extremely likely that the presence of this festival at this time is the main reason for the Christian Church chosing that date for All Saints Day, to help ease the transition of many pagan beliefs into Christianity. At the summer's end, it is said that evil spirits (ghosts, goblins, faeries and other such folk) were said to roam the earth playing tricks on lowly men and women. It was also thought that the veil between the lands of the living and the lands of the dead grew thin during the last night of the summer, and that the dead would walk the earth. Thus, offerings were made in food and drink to keep such spirits from the door, bonfires were lit to keep away the darkness where the spirits hid, and terrifying masks were sometimes worn to warn off the evil: all origins of what we now see on Halloween Night. It is also thought that the lighting of lamps or candles in the windows of homes was used as protection against the wandering spirits, and also used to allow the souls of the family's dead to find them.

In c.1000AD, November was designated as All Souls' Day, a day to honour the dead. All three festivals, All Saints' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day became known as Hallowmas, thus giving the name All Hallows Eve to All Saints' Eve.

During the mid to late medieval periods, it was common belief that witches were devoted to the worship of the Devil, and it was thought that one of the witches'; more important Sabbaths (meetings) was held on Halloween. As it was 'common knowledge' that witches rode broomsticks and had black cats and familiars, those iconic images have become another of our Halloween symbols. Again, it was said that the evil witches would play pranks and worse during their Halloween Sabbath, perhaps a throwback to the pre-christian beliefs about that same night in the calendar.

The custom of "Trick or Treat" seems to have its origins in Ireland, where on All Hallows Eve peasants would travel from house to house asking for food and other gifts to help in the evening's celebrations, with threats made against those that refused to give. At the time, these demands were made in the name of either the Christian Saint Columb Cille, or the ancient Muck Olla, said to be a pagan deity, again showing the fusion of the two religions in local customs. The custom of Trick or Treating (in its present form), seems to have first been seen in Ireland, and then arrived in America in the 1840s. From there it spread to Britain, though in many areas of this country it didn't become a common sight until the movie ET: The Extra Terrestrial firmly implanted it in the minds of parents and children in 1982.