how halloween began

[Nintendork]

my brother told me this a LONG time ago when i was 5.

on the very first october 31st (bible times), satan himself went to houses and killing whoever answered. after a long day of doing that, he fed the dead bodies to a dragon. this relates to halloween because you go door to door making people give candy to you. after a long day of trick-or-treating, you will eat the candies. any simalarities?

[dancin'hamster]

erm........Halloween was originally a ancient Pagan festival called Samhain and it marked the death of summer.

The Christian church hi-jacked lots of old customs and 'sanitised' them, turning them into Saints days.

I'll post a link if you are interested?

Hammy x x x

[peachykeane]

Just to add something further and be a show off clever clogs, here's a quick off the top of my head guide based on being into all things Celtic in my younger years.

Halloween was originally a celtic, pagan festival celebrated throughout the pre-christian British Isles and Europe during the time of the winter solstice. It's orignal name was Samhain (pronounced Sowen or Sarwen) This was regarded by the celts as the end of the old year and start of the new and was believed by them to be, along with the other important festivals-Imbolc/Bealtaine and Lughnasad as a time when the barriers between the other world and ours were easily breached. This was especially true at Samhain when the spirits of tribal and family ancestors were said to walk and interact with the living for that one night. Hence Halloweens affiliation with all things ghostly. The christian church incorporated the festival and renamed it All Hallows Eve (the eve of the festival of All Saints Day or it might be all souls day?) thus it became a recognisable calendar festival for the church much as Easter (named after the Anglo-Saxon fertility goddes Eostre) has also become an important christian festival.

Up till recent times people in traditional celtic countries still followed customs such as laying an extra place at the table should an ancestor drop by on Halloween, my Dad remembered this as did an Irish woman I worked with. It's one of my favourite times of the year. Hope I got most of that right for you.

[RACZILLA]

erm........Halloween was originally a ancient Pagan festival called Samhain and it marked the death of summer.

The Christian church hi-jacked lots of old customs and 'sanitised' them, turning them into Saints days.

I'll post a link if you are interested?

Hammy x x x

I like Darkstar's version better.