Halloween History

The Celts did believe in ghosts, but not

in the way that some of us think of

today. They didn't believe in devils or

"witches." The spirits that they knew

of were their family members, and

were thought about with love.

They would even leave presents, or bowls of food
out, much the same way that people in Mexico do on
El Dia de los Muertos, "The Day of the Dead."

The "evilness" of the Celtic night of Samhain was not
introduced until later by competing religions. In their
minds, the night was filled with witches and
monsters, who were just waiting to gobble you up if
you stepped outside your door. The Celts

did believe in fairies though. They

were mischievous, and occasionally

would kidnap a child or two. Yikes!

It's true! Traditionally, Halloween night, also known
as "All Hallows Eve," as it was later named by the
Catholic church, is a day for honoring the dead. And
how do you honor people? With a party of course!

Halloween's first name was Samhain Eve. This night
was the Celtic New Year, and also represented the
end of Summer. Samhain is a fire festival, and as
such fire was a central element in the celebration.
To the ancient Celts, to burn something, was to
cleanse it, or purify it. The great bonfires which
were lit on the night of Samhain were a symbol for
the Celts not only to be done with the previous
season, but to get ready for the next.

While musicians beat their drums, the

Celts would dance their ritual dances, much like
tribes do in certain parts of Africa, and other such
places. Their dancing connected them, not only to
each other, but also to the past, or more properly, to
the people from the past who danced before them.

Another thing that was relished was the tradition of
"telling stories." This was how many children learned
their family or tribal history, so that they too could
tell the young ones about it when they grew up. In
this way, the past was always with them, and a part
of their lives.

Honoring the dead was at the heart of Samhain. The
dead weren't "scary" to the Celts, rather they were
like old friends, and old friends should never be
forgotten.

The day of the dead, is actually made up of
several days, which begin on October 31 and ends
on November 2. Preparations for the festival start
long before it actually begins, because this is one
of, if not the most important holiday in Mexico.
The central idea behind The Day of the Dead, is to
honor loved ones who have passed away.

The skeleton is a key figure in the celebration, but
it is not used in a scary way. Vendors sell
skeleton puppets or dolls, and some people even
dress up in skeleton masks and costumes.

Wild parades are an enormous attraction, which
bring people from all over the world to take part
and watch.

Though there are many public ways to celebrate,
one of the most important occur inside their
homes. An altar is used as a scared spot, where
offerings are made to those loved ones who have
passed away. Their favorite foods, and small
presents are laid upon the altar, while good
thoughts and well wishes are bestowed upon their
cherished memories.

On the last day of the festival, members of the
family traditionally go to the graveyard to clear
away weeds, and make the site look nice.

Other Halloween-like holidays occur around the
world. The Festival of Souls is celebrated in
Japan, where a bonfire is lit to welcome back the
spirits of their ancestors, and then another is lit at
the end of the festival to see them off. China
enjoys Tomb Sweeping Day, which is celebrated in
April. Kite flying is a big part of this festival, as is
offerings of food and spirit money to their
ancestors to keep them happy so that they'll
continue to watch over the family.

Every country does things a little different than
any other, but Americans tend to make Halloween
"darker" than it is in other places. For us,
Halloween is spooky, but at the same time it is fun.
Children delight in dressing up in costumes and
running door to door for treats. We shouldn't be
afraid of anything when we finally settle in for the
night though, except of course, for those fairies!

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