Halloween - the Real History?

[icymist]

Halloween - the Real History?
Halloween - Trick or Truth?

By Richard L. Meister Jr.
Sep 27 2006 01:07PM



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Research shows many different beliefs about Halloween and how pagans celebrated the holiday before it became known as Halloween. Most sources agree Halloween, celebrated on the day before the beginning of the Celtic new year - October 31, began as a pagan holiday to celebrate the spirits of the dead, or Samhain (usually pronounced “sou-in”), by the Druids, a Celtic non-Christian religious order. (Some sources say Samhain means “Feast of the Dead.” Others say it means “lord of the dead and evil spirits.” Still other sources claims Samhain is not a “lord of the dead,” stating “There is no deity, demon, or spirit named Samhain. Samhain is simply the name of the festival that celebrates summer’s end.” This suggests Samhain was the original name for the holiday before it became Halloween.)
Many sources agree there were huge bonfires built to scare away evil spirits. But not all agree animals and humans were put in wicker cages and burnt alive as sacrifices to the spirits. Some say the only things roasted on the fires were nuts and fruits.

Food was put in front of homes to feed fairies, spirits or the family’s dead. Some sources say horrific masks were worn to scare vagrants and pranksters from eating the gifts of food. Others say the masks were worn to scare away evil spirits, while some say they were worn as a way of tricking ghosts into following the villagers out of the village.

Yet other source disagrees. Instead of masks, they wore costumes made of animal skins. These costumes were worn while humans and animals screamed as they were being burnt to death in the fires. The people wearing the skins danced and jumped through the fires in order to ward off evil spirits. A few say children dressed as goblins to welcome “death” and they took the treats left in front of homes. If the treats were gone, they played a prank, thus bringing about what is now known as “trick-or-treating.”

Many argue that in England, beggars, who roamed the streets singing and begging for food, had brought on the tradition of “trick-or-treating.” Another belief is “trick-or-treating” began in Ireland. Peasants went to the homes of the rich and asked for food. If food was refused, the peasants would play a practical joke or prank on the rich family. In order to stop the mischief, a promise was made. The rich gave the peasants fruit, candy and cookies, and the peasants refrained from the mischief.


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