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Halloween is
a time for frightful fun, screeches and screams. A time to enjoy a
terrific night of chills and thrills. But how much of truth lies behind
this spooky event? Is it just continuing of an ancient pagan ritual or
there is a legend behind this feary event? The word "halloween derives
its origin from the Catholic Church. It literally means ""All Hollows
Day". Tne history of halloween dates back to 2000 years ago to the time
of Celts. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, when the
summer season came to an end and cold dready winter set its foot. Its on
October 31st that they celebrated Samhain (the Lord of dead and of the
cold, dark winter season) when they believed that all the dead souls
came back to earth. All laws of space and time were suspended during
this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living and
search for bodies to possess for the next year.
The villagers
extinguished fires in their homes, dressed like ghosts and wandered in
the neighbourhood to ward of the deadly spirit looking for bodies to
possess. The Druids or the Celtic priests lit fires on the hill top in
the belief that this would empower the Sun God and the summer season
would continue. The villagers gathered around the bonfires to sacrifice
animals and crops to their deities.
However, soon the Celtic
territory was taken away by the Romans, who brought in their own customs
and traditons. They mingled two of their traditions with the already
prevailing Celtic Tradition. The first was Feralia when the Romans
traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day
to honor the Roman Goddess of fruits and trees - Pomona, which in turn
explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples practiced in recent years
of halloween.
With the spread of
Christianity, the November 1st came to be celebrated as "All Saints Day"
to honor the saints and martyrs and do away with the vigil of Samhain.
The night before it, began to be called as 'All Hallows Eve' and
gradually Halloween. |
