Tonight's the night! That one night of the year when all those little monsters will be traipsing door to door in search of chocolate and and high fructose concoctions. They'll walk past lighted Jack-o-Lanterns and some will bob for apples. It's an all-American scene at the end of every October, or is it?
You might be surprised to know that the origins of Halloween aren't American at all. We actually have the Ancient Celts, the ancestors of the Irish, to thank for this fun holiday which was rather different two millennia ago.
Sometime around the end of October, the Celts celebrated a pagan holiday called Samhain, which was the start of their new year, the end of the harvest, and the time to bring the cattle in from the fields for the winter. They believed that because of the equinox, this time of year had special, supernatural qualities; they believed the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to roam the earth. When Christianity came to Celtic lands, Samhain was absorbed into the holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
Other Halloween traditions are also rooted in Samhain practices. Trick-or-treat, Jack O'Lanterns, bobbing for apples, costumes, bonfires, and even the colors orange and black all come from the Celts. Things may have evolved a bit over 2,000 years but the key concepts remain intact.
So, when you carve your pumpkin and dress up in that zombie costume this year, take a moment to remember the Celts for giving us a reason to party and act crazy!
Awaiting (good) spirits and treats on the perch.
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