THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWE'EN
The origins of Halloween most likely date back more than 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. The Celts roamed over what is now the United Kingdom, Ireland and northern France. Their new year began No v. 1, starting with a festival the previous night honoring Samhain to mark the beginning of the season of cold, darkness, decay and human mortality. The Celts believed that Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes on this night.
On the evening of Samhain, the Druids, high priests and teachers of the Celts, ordered the people to put out their hearth fires and build a huge new year's bonfire of oak branches, which were considered sacred. The Druids burned animals, crops and -- according to some historians -- human beings as sacrifices to Samhain. Each family then relit its hearth fires from the new year's bonfire. During the festivities, costumes made of animal skins were worn and the remains of the animals that had been sacrificed were carefully examined for signs that would foretell the fortunes of the coming year.
The Romans began the conquest of the Celts in 43 A.D. and ruled the area for about 400 years. During this time, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with the Celtic festival of Samhain -- Feralia, held in late October, honoring the dead and a harvest festival named after Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Apples later became associated with Halloween because of this fall festival.
Many of the customs of the Celts survived the introduction of Christianity. During the 800s, the church established All Saints Day on Nov.1, and many old pagan customs became part of this holy day. The mass said on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmas, and the evening before soon became known as All Hallows' Eve, or All Hallow e'en.
Regional Halloween customs developed among various groups of Celts. In Scotland, people paraded through the fields and villages carrying torches to drive away witches and other evil spirits. In Ireland, people paraded in costumes and begged for food. In Wales every person marked a stone and put it into a bonfire. The people believed that if a person's stone could not be located the following morning in ashes of the burnt-out fire, they would die within the year.
In England, Halloween, sometimes called Nutcrack Night or Snap Apple Night, was celebrated by family members sitting by the fireplace telling stories while eating apples, nuts and treats. On All Souls' Day, poor people went a-souling. They received pastries called soulcakes in exchange for promising to say prayers for the departed.
In the United States, settlers from England and other formerly Celtic regions brought with them their Halloween customs and beliefs.