Halloween October 31 st History of Halloween

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Halloween October 31 st

History of Halloween is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. Halloween was originally called All Hallows' Eve which means the evening before All Saints' Day. "Hallow" is an Old English word for "saint". This was shortened to Halloween. Another name for Hallowe'en is Samhain, meaning summer’s End, a Celtic festival, when winter and a new year started. This was also the time of year when everything withered and died, and the priests of the Celtic people, the Druids would perform magic rites and offered sacrifices to their gods to make sure life and new growth would return in spring. The Druids thought all life came from the underworld and that was where the spirits of vegetation and growing things went during the winter. At Samhain the barriers between this world and the underworld were opened, and the Celts believed the spirits of their dead relatives would revisit their homes.

Traditions There are many folk traditions associated with Halloween. It is possible that some had their origins in Celtic times. Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat? " Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. They are used to scare off demons.