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Halloween
Origins and Traditions
Origins
Halloween began two thousand years ago in Ireland, England, and
Northern
France with the ancient religion of the Celts (Paganism!
They celebrated their New Year on November 1st
. This day mar"ed the beginning of the dar", cold winter, a time
of year that was
often associated with human death!
Samhain (sow-in)
On the night of October #$, they celebrated Samhain, when it was
belie%ed that
the ghosts of the dead returned to earth!
Costumes
Peo&le thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left
their homes'
o they wore costumes!
This way, the ghosts couldn)t recogni*e them+
The Christian Inluence s the influence of Christianity
s&read into Celtic lands, in the -thcentury, Po&e
.oniface I/ introducedAll Saints' Day, a time to honor saints
and martyrs, to re&lace the
Pagan festi%al of Samhain! It was obser%ed on 0ay $#th!
! change o date
In 1#2, Po&e 3regory III mo%edAll Saint's Dayfrom 0ay $#th
to No%! $st! Oct!
#$stthus becameAll Hallows' Eve(4hallow4 means 4saint4!
!ll Souls "ay
No%ember 5nd, calledAll Souls Day, isthe day set a&art in
the 6oman Catholic Church
for the commemoration of the dead!
Tric"7or7treating began with the &oor in the
$8thcentury'
9uring theAll Souls Dayfesti%al in England, &oor
&eo&le would beg for :soul
ca"es,; made out of s
Children still go from house7to7house, but instead of ale, food,
and money, theyget candy!
#ith Irish Immigration$
In $121, millions of Irish emigrants &oured into merica as a
result of the &otato
famine! They brought with them their traditions ofHalloween!
Halloween came to !merica.
They called Halloween Oidche Shamhna(?Night of amhain4, as their
ancestors
had, and "e&t the traditional obser%ances!
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The %ac&'O'antern
The Irish used to carry turni&s with candles in them to
light their way at night and
to scare away ghosts!!
#hen they arrived in !merica they ound
that )um)&ins were both )lentiul and easier to carve than
turni)s.Now, @ac"7O7Aanterns are used for decorating
&eo&le)s homes!
Peo&le ha%e recently started car%ing less traditional
@ac"7O7Aanterns
Today )eo)le go to )arties$
Ta&e their &ids tric&'or'treating.$
!nd eat lots o candy*
I you don+t give candy to a tric&'or'treater$
This could ha))en to you*
,ibliogra)hy
The -nd
