en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:21:43 GMT 15 By Jake Wietharn
Ever since you were young you knew what Halloween was and what it meant. Candy, carving pumpkins and a new costume every year. But do you know what Halloween really means and where it came from in the last 2,000 years it has changed dramatically within different cultures. According to history.com it all supposably started in or around Ireland, northern France and what is known as the United Kingdom. The Celts who lived in these areas would celebrate on the last day of October to usher in the New Year. They believed on this day that the borders of the spirit world and the living world would blurr and the ghosts of the dead would return. During this process it made it easier for the Druids and the Celtic purist to read the future and see if it would be a good harvest that year. To commemorate the events druids and priest and the villagers would make huge bonfires, dress up in costumes consisting of animal heads and skins and would attempt to tell each other’s fortunes. When the celebration was over they would relight the house fires with pieces of the bonfire to help them through the coming winter. By 43 A.D. much of the Celtic territories had been conquered by the Roman army and with them came festivals of their own combining with the Celtic festival Samhein. The Romans called the festival Feralia. On the first day of the month of October they would commemorate the passing of the dead and on the second day they would honor the Pomona, or the goddess of Fruits and Trees. The symbol of Pomona is an apple and in the incorporation to Samhein would explain where bobbing for apples on Halloween came from. By the 800 A.D Christianity had spread into the Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated Nov.1 to be All Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It was widely believed that the church was trying to replace the Celtic festivals and holiday with related church sanctioned holidays. This holiday was called All-hollows or All-Hallowmas and the day before it was called All-Hollows eve and eventually the holiday became known as Halloween. Even later, in 1,000 A.D., the church would make Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhein, with big bonfires and parades. Many people dressed up in costumes such as saints, angels and devils. Together, the three celebrations the eve of All Saints’, All Saints’, and All Souls’, were called Hallowmas. So when you’re out at night this Halloween remember what you’re really celebrating not just candy corn, chocolate and dressing up but a celebration that goes back in time to when the very first civilization in the United kingdom formed. ]]> Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:23:00 GMT