Guest-Posting: The History of Halloween and Celtic Traditions

Halloween. A time of festivity. Children squeal with delight and run down the streetlight lit walkways with bags full of sweets and colorful costumes which depict every type of monster, superhero, or animal one could possibly dream up. Halloween has come far from it's pre-Christian beginnings yet some of its traditions are still held onto by unsuspecting participants.

The ancient Druids were believed to be the founders of a holiday that went by the name of Samhain. Some say that Samhain was a holiday that stemmed in the celebration of a Celtic god of the dead named Saman. His official role was “The Lord of The Dead”. He was said to release evil phantoms and spirits upon the land, that would terrorize humanity.

The Pagans believe that Samhain is actually a Celtic celebration for “summer's end”. It's said that ancient Celtic people believed that the summer ended on October 31, thus they celebrated the beginning of a new year, or cycle on the following day, November 1. The ancient Celtic people started celebrating holidays the evening before, hence celebrating on the 31st of October.

Traditionally, Celtic people who celebrated Samhain, would gather at night on October 31st and set huge bonfires that they would then burn sacrifices of crops and animals in to honor various Celtic deities. This was seen as a payment to the Gods and Goddesses. The burnt offerings were a way of giving the gods their fair share of the year's crops and herds.

The fire also represented a way of “cleansing”, a way of preparing for the new year by parting with the energy or material of the previous one.

The Celts would also dance and sing around the bonfires dressed in colorful costumes. The dancing was a way of honoring the deceased, since they also believed that on the eve of Samhain the spirits of the dead would be set free to wander from the underworld. Though the dancing and singing was meant to honor not only the Gods and Goddesses, but also the spirits, there was believed to be a need for protection from malevolent, evil spirits that meant to harm during their release from the realm of the dead. That is where the need for costumes came into being. By dressing up, the Celtic people would frighten off these bad spirits and not endure any harm or attacks by them.

The creation of Halloween has its beginnings rooted in the destruction of a pagan tradition, like so many other holidays that are celebrated in the present day. Pope Boniface IV created a holiday by the name of “All Hallows Eve” that was to take place on October 31st. Most scholars believe that the Pope was trying to make an easier transition from the pagan ways of the Celts to the Christian ways of the church. Several other holidays were created to bridge the divide between church and pagans such as “All Saints Day” and “All Souls' Day”. These church sanctioned holidays became muddled into one holiday (All Hallows Eve).

As people began to immigrate from the Celtic lands of Britain, Ireland, and Scotland, they brought their traditions with them. In Britain, All Souls' Day was celebrated by giving pastries known as “soul cakes” to the poor in exchange for prayers to the deceased relatives of the givers. It is believed that this is where the practice of “trick-or-treating” evolved from.

So, as you can see, Halloween is a combination of ancient practices that have melded into one secular holiday that is celebrated by many. It would seem safe to say that although this holiday started out with religious and traditional influences, it has become a holiday of pure fun...a holiday for amusement. This year when out trick-or-treating or dancing at a party with that “hot vampire” remember that you are actually participating in some very old traditions that stretch back more than 2000 years.

Have fun and enjoy your Halloween.

-- Marcus Twyman

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Marcus Twyman is a Horror/Dark Fantasy writer who is currently pursuing a publishing deal for his first manuscript. He's an avid music lover and addicted to writing. He loves the thrill of writing a story that sets one's teeth on edge and enjoys getting goosebumps from a well written tale. He runs his own blog and loves getting feedback on the short stories that he posts there.

More info on Marcus can be found by visiting his site http://www.nebukhetscry.blogspot.com