Halloween History

The festival of the dead has survived to the present as Halloween or All Hallows Eve and is observed the night of October 31, followed on November 1 by All Hallows Day, also called All Saints' Day and All Soul's Day. The ancient Celts called the festival Samhain (pronounced sow' an) and observed it to celebrate the onset of winter and the beginning of the Celtic New Year; "samhain" means "end of summer."

In Ireland the festival was known as Samhein, or La Samon, the Feast of the Sun. In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en. Samhain was a solar festival marked by sacred fire and fire rituals.

During the height of the Druids, the priestly caste of the Celts, all fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain. Householders were levied a fee for the holy fire which burned at their altars.

In ancient Ireland, the Druids sacrificed to the deities by burning victims in wickerwork cages. All other fires were to be extinguished and were re-lit from the sacrificial fire. Samhain marked the third and final harvest, and the storage of provisions for the winter.

The veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest point in the year, making communication between the living and the dead much easier. On the eve of the holiday, the souls of the dead freely roamed the land of the living.

The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them.

The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1. The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.