The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.īy 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes.ĪBOVE VIDEO: Halloween was originally called Samhain and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers. To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. On #ThisDayinHistory 500 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Around the world, as days grow shorter and nights get colder, people continue to usher in the season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating and carving jack-o-lanterns.
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The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain.