Carlos Rangel

· 25 Jun 2021

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What is the origin of HALLOWEEN?

#halloween Ancient Celtic villages used to hold a grand ceremony to commemorate “the end of the harvest”. This celebration took place at the end of October. This party was baptized with the Gaelic word “Samhain”. (The etymological meaning is “the end of summer”.This is because during this celebration they said goodbye to Lugh, god of the sun. Celts lived in various regions of Ireland, England, Scotland and France.

This holiday marked the time when days were getting shorter and nights longer. The Celts, like many pre-Hispanic cultures, believed that in Samhain the spirits of the dead were returning to visit the world of mortals.

The Celtic year ended on 31 October, in the autumn, the main characteristic of which is the fall of leaves. For them it meant the end of death or initiation of a new life. This teaching spread over the years from generation to generation.

The custom was to leave food and sweets outside their homes in the form of offering. On the other hand, it was common to light candles to help the souls of the dead find their way to light and rest with Lugh.

On the other hand, on the night of October 31, there were also rituals. They had a purifying character to say goodbye to the year.

With the rise of Catholicism, this pagan festival became Christianized, and it began to be called “All Saints' Eve”. The English translation is, “All Hallow's Eve”, hence the word “Halloween” was born.
With European immigration to the United States, mainly that of Irish Catholics in 1846, this tradition came to the American continent.

On October 31 in the evening, in the countries of Anglo-Saxon culture or Celtic heritage, the eve of the feast of All Saints is celebrated, with a whole set to remember the ancestors.

The Samhain holiday was transformed, to be called, in many places, such as Halloween.
Every year, different traditions come together, mix and influence each other, from the end of October and early November, in the cultures of western countries. In Asia and Africa, the cult of ancestors and the dead has strong roots but is not as linked to a specific date as in our culture.

Let me know in the comments Did you know the origin of this celebration?