Halloween Evolved From 2,000-Year-Old Ritual
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Satanic celebration or just a fun annual festival?
That's the question posed every year by parents and other adults regarding Halloween. Some say it's the devil's night, others say it's just a multimillion dollar costume business and no more.
The Celtic people of Europe started the tradition more than 2,000 years ago. It was then the eve of their festival Samhain. At the time, the Celts lived in what is now England, Ireland and northern France.
Samhain was a celebration of the death of the old year and the birth of a new year. The pagan festival on the eve of Samhain paid homage to the sun god Belenus, or Baal.
Once Christianity was born, Christian leaders changed the pagan ritual rites to a day that would "protect" all from the Devil. This was Oct. 31 on the modern-day calendar.
In the seventh century, the church celebrated "All Saint's Day" in May. By the ninth century, the date was changed to Nov. 1. Oct. 31 became a festival for the Christian dead.
All Hallow's Eve was the night before All Saints Day. On All Hallow's Eve, spirits were supposed to be at their peak. All Hallow's Eve was changed later to the shortened form Halloween.
Certain staples of the U.S. Halloween tradition also have an interesting history.
The trick-or-treating held every year in the United States was brought over by the Irish in the 1800s. The tradition in their native Irish homeland was for villagers to go from house to house on Halloween to beg for food for a community feast. Those who gave a nice amount were promised a prosperous year. Those who gave just a little were threatened with troubles.
Ireland is the only place where Halloween is a national holiday.
Witches, who have recently become popular in movies like "The Craft" and television series like "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," have their own history in relation to Halloween myths.
The word witch comes from the Saxon word "wica," meaning "wise one."
When witches set out for the Sabbath, they used to rub a sacred ointment on their skin. The skin confused the mind, sped up the pulse and numbed the feet. It gave them a sense of flying.
The broomstick was forged with the witch imagery because a witch would carry one with her on her way when she walked to a meeting of her coven if she didn't have a horse. She would use the broomstick to hurdle over streams.
Ever since, the idea of a witch flying on a broomstick has become the normal accepted stereotype of a witch.
Another Halloween staple is the jack-o-lantern.
The jack-o-lantern comes from an Irish myth of a man nicknamed Stingy Jack, or Irish Jack. Several stories are told about Jack but the one most often told is the story about his deal with the devil.
Jack met the devil at a tavern. After trapping the devil in his pocket, he made a deal with him before he'd let him go. The deal was that the devil had to promise Jack that he would never claim his soul.
Eventually, Jack died. Heaven did not want him and the devil could not take him. Jack was doomed to walk the earth for all of eternity.
He was given a turnip by the devil in which Jack put a candle inside to help him on his way at night.
Another story says that Jack used to play tricks on the devil. The devil cursed Jack to forever walk the earth for his trickery. He gave Jack a lump of coal to light his way and keep warm. Jack put the lump of coal into a turnip he was eating. Many countries still celebrate Halloween with turnips. The United States celebrates Halloween with a pumpkin because it is easier to decorate.
As for Dracula, his origins go back to Count Vladimir. Vladimir's love interest committed suicide after she thought Vladimir was killed in battle. After he returned from the war, unhurt, he was told about his beloved. In anger and sadness, he cursed God and swore his allegiance to Satan. He massacred thousands of people and had their heads put on poles.
Some legends even say he drank his victims' blood while they were dying.
From him grew the legend of the vampire. Count Dracula, Blade, and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" all owe their success to the gore of Vladimir's legacy.
But is Halloween really a Satanic orgy or a festival for people of all ages to enjoy?
Either way, beware of the ghosts, goblins, witches and vampires on Halloween night. [[In-content Ad]]
Satanic celebration or just a fun annual festival?
That's the question posed every year by parents and other adults regarding Halloween. Some say it's the devil's night, others say it's just a multimillion dollar costume business and no more.
The Celtic people of Europe started the tradition more than 2,000 years ago. It was then the eve of their festival Samhain. At the time, the Celts lived in what is now England, Ireland and northern France.
Samhain was a celebration of the death of the old year and the birth of a new year. The pagan festival on the eve of Samhain paid homage to the sun god Belenus, or Baal.
Once Christianity was born, Christian leaders changed the pagan ritual rites to a day that would "protect" all from the Devil. This was Oct. 31 on the modern-day calendar.
In the seventh century, the church celebrated "All Saint's Day" in May. By the ninth century, the date was changed to Nov. 1. Oct. 31 became a festival for the Christian dead.
All Hallow's Eve was the night before All Saints Day. On All Hallow's Eve, spirits were supposed to be at their peak. All Hallow's Eve was changed later to the shortened form Halloween.
Certain staples of the U.S. Halloween tradition also have an interesting history.
The trick-or-treating held every year in the United States was brought over by the Irish in the 1800s. The tradition in their native Irish homeland was for villagers to go from house to house on Halloween to beg for food for a community feast. Those who gave a nice amount were promised a prosperous year. Those who gave just a little were threatened with troubles.
Ireland is the only place where Halloween is a national holiday.
Witches, who have recently become popular in movies like "The Craft" and television series like "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," have their own history in relation to Halloween myths.
The word witch comes from the Saxon word "wica," meaning "wise one."
When witches set out for the Sabbath, they used to rub a sacred ointment on their skin. The skin confused the mind, sped up the pulse and numbed the feet. It gave them a sense of flying.
The broomstick was forged with the witch imagery because a witch would carry one with her on her way when she walked to a meeting of her coven if she didn't have a horse. She would use the broomstick to hurdle over streams.
Ever since, the idea of a witch flying on a broomstick has become the normal accepted stereotype of a witch.
Another Halloween staple is the jack-o-lantern.
The jack-o-lantern comes from an Irish myth of a man nicknamed Stingy Jack, or Irish Jack. Several stories are told about Jack but the one most often told is the story about his deal with the devil.
Jack met the devil at a tavern. After trapping the devil in his pocket, he made a deal with him before he'd let him go. The deal was that the devil had to promise Jack that he would never claim his soul.
Eventually, Jack died. Heaven did not want him and the devil could not take him. Jack was doomed to walk the earth for all of eternity.
He was given a turnip by the devil in which Jack put a candle inside to help him on his way at night.
Another story says that Jack used to play tricks on the devil. The devil cursed Jack to forever walk the earth for his trickery. He gave Jack a lump of coal to light his way and keep warm. Jack put the lump of coal into a turnip he was eating. Many countries still celebrate Halloween with turnips. The United States celebrates Halloween with a pumpkin because it is easier to decorate.
As for Dracula, his origins go back to Count Vladimir. Vladimir's love interest committed suicide after she thought Vladimir was killed in battle. After he returned from the war, unhurt, he was told about his beloved. In anger and sadness, he cursed God and swore his allegiance to Satan. He massacred thousands of people and had their heads put on poles.
Some legends even say he drank his victims' blood while they were dying.
From him grew the legend of the vampire. Count Dracula, Blade, and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" all owe their success to the gore of Vladimir's legacy.
But is Halloween really a Satanic orgy or a festival for people of all ages to enjoy?
Either way, beware of the ghosts, goblins, witches and vampires on Halloween night. [[In-content Ad]]