Why do we celebrate Halloween?
Long before Christianity, the Druids of Great Britain used to celebrate the festival of Samhain - summer’s end- practicing mystical rites and ceremonies.
November 1 was the first day of the Druid year and the festival of their sun god. They celebrated the day by lighting fired, just like Cajuns light bonfires for parties.
Druids believed that on the eve of the new year, the god of death summoned all the souls of the dead who had died during that year and decided what animal form their spirits would take when they came back to life. They believed that the souls of the good would return as humans and the punishment for evil people could be lessened by praying and offering gifts to the god of death.
Cats were sacred to the druids, as they were thought to contain the wicked souls of the dead.
Later, under Roman rule, aspects of the Roman pagan harvest festival of Pomona were added. In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV recognized the day of the festival, November 1, and the night before, giving it the name All Hallows or all Saints Day, thereby making it into a celebration of Catholic saints.
The practice of carving a pumpkin can be traced back to the Druids. A man named Jack was banned from heaven because he was too stingy and was not allowed into hell because he played pranks on the devil. He, holding a lantern, was condemned to wander the earth in limbo, waiting for Judgment Day.
Druids believed that on the eve of St. Hallows Day, ghosts and witches roamed the earth. So people wore costumes to fool evil spirits.
Our custom of trick or treating comes from 17th century Ireland. The Irish poor would go from door to door asking for money to buy food for a feast in honor of St. Columba, who had taken the place of Samhain, the old god of the dead. St. Columba, a 6th century monk, converted the Picts to Christianity.
----Adapted from THE BOOK OF TOTALLY USELESS INFORMATION
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