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¿Qué es Halloween?

Uncover the roots of Halloween in pagan customs over 2000 years old, originating from Celtic celebrations of Samhain, a festival marking the transition into winter. Explore the historical blend of harvest festivals, honoring the dead, and the Christian influence on All Saints' Day. Discover how myths and rituals have evolved into modern traditions like costumes, trick-or-treating, and jack-o’-lanterns.

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¿Qué es Halloween?

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  1. ¿Qué es Halloween?

  2. Rooted in pagan traditions more than 2000 years old • Grew out of Celtic celebration marking the onset of winter’s gloom • Called samhain (pronounced: sow-een) • It combined the Celts’ harvest and New Year festivals, held in Oct and early Nov by people in what is now Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe

  3. This ritual was tied to the seasonal cycle of life and death, as the last crops were harvested and livestock were brought in for winter or slaughter • The Celts also saw Samhain as a fearful time, when the barrier between the worlds of the living and dead broke and spirits walked the Earth.

  4. Going door-to-door, children collected wood for a sacred bonfire that provided light against the growing darkness. • During the fiery festival, the Celts wore masks, often made of animal heads and skins, hoping to frighten off spirits. • As the celebration ended, families carried home embers from the communal fire to relight their hearth fires.

  5. Getting the picture: Costumes, trick-or-treating and jack-o’-lanterns all got started more than 2000 years ago at an Irish bonfire! Christianity took a dim view of these “heathen” rites. Attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a church-approved holiday, the 7th century Pope Boniface IV designated Nov 1 All Saints’ Day to honor saints and martyrs.

  6. Then in 1000 A.D., the church made Nov. 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to remember the departed and to pray for their souls. Today, people continue to celebrate with costumes, bonfires and parades.

  7. Together, all three celebrations (All Saints’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day) were called Hallowmas and the night before came to be called All-Hallows Evening, eventually shortened to “Halloween.” Merged with Christianity, these Celtic rituals were celebrated in Europe for centuries. And when millions of Irish and Europeans emigrated to America, they brought along their traditions.

  8. Halloween, in other words, is deeply rooted in myths—ancient stories explaining the seasons and the mysteries of life and death. Myths have always been the way people make sense of their world. That is why even Halloween’s ancient stories live on in our movies, language and holidays.

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