Halloween
means hallow's eve -
the evening of All Hallows, or All Saints.
It used to be a holy or hallowed
evening,
named because it was the day
before
All Hallows Day, or All Saints'
Day which is on November 1.
In the seventh or eighth century, after
the
increased spread of Christianity,
a chapel was consecrated at St. Peter's
in
Rome to honor all of the saints on All
Saints' Day.
However,
the rites on the preceding
evening stem from
an early pagan festival, so it
was only natural
for some of the heathen customs to
become
attached to the Hallow'een
festival.
The Celts, who occupied northern and
western
Europe (what is now France and the British
Isles)
had Druidism as their religion.
Their autumn
festival of Samhain was held
on
the last day of October.
It came after the harvests
had
been gathered, and meant the
end of summer and the beginning of
winter.
Druid priests were nature worshipers who
performed
mystic ceremonies to the great
sun
god
at such places as a circle near
Chartres, France,
and at Stonehenge, not far from Salisbury,
England.
Today, if you visit Stonehenge, you see
great stone
pillars placed in a circle around which
the white-garbed
priests are said to have marched.
A supernatural element was part of the
autumn festival...
the Druids tried to placate the Lord of
Death.
It was believed that he allowed the spirits
of those
who had died during the past
twelve months
to spend a few hours at their homes
where
they could warm themselves at the blazing
hearth and enjoy
the smell of food cooking in the
fireplace.
The Druids believed that on this eve,
ghosts, fairies,
spirits, elves and witches appeared to harm
people. They
considered cats sacred because they claimed
that cats
had once
been
human beings who were changed
into cats as punishment
for
evil deeds.
It is said that on this eve black cats,
witches bats,
elves and fairies were everywhere.
One of the important rites held in
connection with
the ancient observance of Halloween
was the lighting
of great bonfires on hilltops to honor the
sun god
and to frighten away evil spirits
who had been released on that special
night.
The people danced around the flames,
often pretending they were being
pursued by evil spirits.
They wore masks and jumped
over
and through the flames
in their ritual dances.
The idea of witches on broomsticks came into
being
during the time of the Druids from the idea
that women
had sold themselves to the Devil.
This idea also existed during the time of
the
early Egyptians and Romans. On
Halloween,
witches were said to dance on the
hilltops with goblins
and imps while the Devil played
castanets made from dead men's
bones.
Farmers were said to set forkfuls of
hay afire
and wave them in the air to frighten the
witches.
Frustrated ghosts were supposed to play
tricks on
human beings and cause
supernatural happenings.
This was the night of the full
yellow moon,
and when people celebrated that night around
the
massive bonfires, they talked
of mysterious sights
or weird sounds they had
encountered.
This was the forerunner of our
custom of telling
ghost stories on Halloween.
Old superstitions and customs make the
celebration of
Halloween colorful; therefore,
black cats, ghosts, witches
and jack-o'-lanterns are associated with
this night.
With early tribes, Halloween was a time for
divination,
or fortune-telling. They were eager
to
learn what might happen to them in the next
year.
They cut an animal open and from
the
entrails
foretold the future, or used
shapes of
vegetables for this purpose.
A young person would peel an apple, through
the peeling
over their shoulder, and from its shape
tried to
tell the initials of a
sweetheart.
After the spread of Christianity,
enemies
of the church made fun of the
Christians,
and on Halloween,
they worshiped the devil, set skulls on
pretended
altars, or painted profane
crosses on the church.
Some of our modern Halloween traditions had
parts
that originated in the
ancient Roman feast Ponoring Pomona,
the goddess of fruits. After the
Romans conquered Britain,
some of their customs were added to
those of the Druids.
Since both festivals occurred
after the harvest,
their customs became entwined.
Thus, we decorate with apples, nuts
and pumpkins.
It is said that in Ireland, a man by the
name of Jack
was not permitted to enter
heaven because he was
too stingy and had played jokes on the
devil,
so he was condemned to wander
around the world,
going neither to heaven or hell,
carrying his lantern to light
his way until Judgment Day.
In early America, pumpkins were
found to be excellent
for making jack-0'-lanterns,
so they became a popular American
symbol.
Today, as children wear ghost and witch
costumes,
wear masks, and carry pumpkin
lanterns, and as people
decorate with black cats, bats, witches,
corn candies,
and tell ghost stories,
they are following a combination of ancient
Roman and
Druid practices as well as
religious beliefs.
As time passed in America, and Gaelic
immigrants
arrived, bringing old customs with them,
Halloween customs evolved.
Early Americans got together for
bonfires
and harvest suppers, went on hayrides, and
had
taffy-pulling and popcorn popping
parties.
Gates were left open for cows
to get out, and bonfires
were built in the streets.
People began having fun making
noises,
playing pranks and doing practical jokes.
By the end of World War II, people
had become more rowdy,
and behavior became boisterous and
destructive.
Pranksters slit tires, soaped car windows,
broke street lights and damaged
property.
Police began to take measures to
stop activities
that were getting out of hand.
In order to make Halloween safer
for
children,
schools started having Halloween
Carnivals.
Just as Halloween began to get
calmer,
the scare of poisoned candy and razor blades
hidden
in candy and apples threatened to
ruin Trick-or-Treating.
Parents were urged to accompany
children
who went trick-or-treating,
go to safe neighborhoods, and to examine
their
trick-or-treat bags carefully.
Now, costume contests are held,
and Halloween is more safely
celebrated.
Today, the decorating of houses and
businesses
is very popular.
Often, entire towns will participate
in
contests to see which business can have the
most
elaborate Halloween display.
Citizens decorate their homes and yards with
pumpkins,
ghosts, and other symbols of
Halloween.
Instead of unsupervised trick-or-treating in
the streets,
most children go to shopping malls or
other organized "goodie" places.
Haunted Houses are sponsored by
numerous
organizations to provide a safe
and fun way to celebrate Halloween.
Today, Halloween is one of our most
celebrated
holidays, enjoyed by children and adults
alike.
It's also big business. The sale of
Halloween decorations
is becoming almost as popular as those for
Christmas.
For Kids of all ages:
      
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