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HALLOWEEN ANCIENT ORIGINS

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Keith Ranville
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« on: October 14, 2009, 09:25:26 pm »



History Channel

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The History of Halloween.



Reference:

Video: The haunting History of All Hallow's Eve (Halloween).

http://www.history.com/video.do?name=halloween&bcpid=1811456971&bclid=1842765416&bctid=1554375513

Video: Timothy Dickinson tells the intriguing tale of why we celebrate Halloween, and it's evolution from Samhain, an ancient Celtic Harvest Festival. http://www.history.com/video.do?name=halloween&bcpid=1811456971&bclid=1842765416&bctid=1842866701

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

http://www.history.com/content/halloween/real-story-of-halloween
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Keith Ranville
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« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2009, 09:30:18 pm »

The True Story of Halloween

By Lisa Page

Halloween originated thousands of years ago, making it one of the oldest holidays. The Halloween that we celebrated today, has had many influences from many cultures over the years, such as the Roman's Pomona Day, Celtic festival of Samhain, and the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.

Hundreds of years ago the Celts lived, in what we now Great Britain and Northern France. They worshipped nature and had many gods, the sun god being their favorite. This was the god that dictated their work and their rest schedules. He was also known for making the earth beautiful and the crops grow plentiful .

Celtic New Year was on November 1st. Every year, the Celts celebrated, with a festival and marking the end of summer, (the season of the sun) and the beginning of winter (the season of darkness and cold.)

On October 31st once all the crops were harvested and stored away for the long winter, they would extinguish the cooking fires in the homes. The Celtic priests, also called Druids, would gather in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred) upon the hilltop. Here they would make new fires and offer sacrifices consisting of crops and animals. They would then begin to dance around the fires. It was at this ceremony the season of the sun would pass and the season of darkness would begin.

In the morning the Druids took an ember from their fires and gave it to each of the families. They would take the ember home and start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits, until the season of sun returned.

November 1st was the festival called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). This festival lasted for 3 days. People would parade around in costumes made from the skins and heads of animals. It was this festival that became the first Halloween

During the first century that the Romans invaded Britain, they brought many of their festivals and customs, with them. One of these was Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. This festival was also celebrated around November 1st. After hundreds of years of Romans, the Celtic's Samhain festival became mixed with the Roman's Pomona Day creating one major fall holiday.

The next influence came about when the new Christian religion spread throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday honoring all the saints. This day was called All Saint's Day, Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later, the church called November 2nd, All Souls Day, to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.

The spread of Christianity did not make people forget their customs. People continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day on October 31st. Over the years all customs from these holidays mixed. October 31st was All Hallow Even, later All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en and then Halloween, as we know it today.

Halloween as we know it, includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day, ghosts, skeletons and skulls.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-True-Story-of-Halloween&id=761580
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Keith Ranville
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« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2009, 09:45:39 pm »

Whatever you do don't look into her eyes for than 5 minutes or you will die ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxfaGy4LVwM&feature=fvw


scary pictures of ghosts or demons!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBq7t02C1g&feature=related



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