Halloween or All Hallows Eve is the Celtic celebration of the new year, Samhain (sowan). The Celts would take this day to honor their dead, remember the past and look forward to the future with a great feast. Samhain (sowan) is the beginning of the cold season. It is a tradition to leave seats and food for the spirits to partake in the festivities of the evening as to not bring ill fortune. Pumpkins, turnips, and gourds had scary faces carved in them and were set out to scare away evil spirits, who were also allowed to rise on this night. People wore masks if they went out and about to hide from the evil spirits so they couldn’t be seen and possessed.
The night of Samhain (sowan) begins is also believed to have special qualities that allowed easier more revealing divination. Participants used divination on this night to see what was to come in the new year.
Although the night as it had been was to be much longer. The Christian faith was spreading and sought to gain more “followers” by adopting the traditions of the people it spread to, but making them acceptable to the new church. The celebration today is mostly trick-or-treating, fooling around with séances and Ouija boards without know-how and scantily clad women. Not to mention the horrible “B” movies.
Sources:
“Origin of All Hallows Eve.” LoveToKnow. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. http://paranormal.lovetoknow.com/Origin_of_All_Hallows_Eve.
“Wiccan, Pagan and Witchcraft Holidays., October 31st, Samhain.” Wiccan, Pagan and Witchcraft Holidays., October 31st, Samhain. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. http://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhain.htm.
“Witchology, the History of Wicca & Witchcraft.” The Origins of All Hallows Eve, Aka Hallowe’en (Halloween). N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. http://www.witchology.com/contents/october/halloween/halloweenorigins.php.
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