The History of Halloween

Halloween’s Celtic Origin

• The holiday that evolved into Halloween was first celebrated over
  2,000 years ago by the Celtic people, who called is Samhain.

• The Samhain festival served as the New Year for the Celtic People, as their calendars started on November 1.

• During Samhain they celebrated the fall harvest and the coming of
  winter with huge bonfires. In the bonfires they sacrificed crops and
  animals to the Celtic deities.

• The Celts also wore animal skins and heads during the Samhain
  bonfires, which is where the Halloween tradition of costumes likely
  originated.

Halloween’s Christian Origin

• In the 600’s A.D., November 1 was designated by the Pope to be All
  Saints Day; a day to celebrate and honor Christian saints and martyrs.

• It is believed that Pope Boniface IV chose November 1 as All Saints
  Day to replace the pagan Samhain festival with a church-approved
  holiday.

• All Saints Day became known as “All Hallow’s Day” due to the Middle
  English word for it, which was ‘Alholowmesse.’ Therefore, the night
  before All Hallow’s Day became known as “All Hallow’s Eve”

• The church later appointed November 2 as “All Souls’ Day,” a day to honor loved ones who have passed on.

• During All Souls’ Day parades in England, “soul cakes” were passed
  out to poor people in return for a promise that they would pray for
  departed family members.

The Modernization of Halloween

• The All Souls’ Day begging and cake giving, along with the tradition
  of leaving food on one’s doorstep to appease spirits, evolved into
  trick-or-treating.

• Halloween became modernized throughout the 19th century, as colonial
  Americans made it a holiday about getting together to enjoy parties,
  food and fun costumes.
  

• By the dawn of the 20th century, Halloween was hardly about religion
  anymore and was widely celebrated as a purely recreational holiday.