History of Halloween and Origin of Halloween
The origin of Halloween is fascinating and anyone interested in finding out about the history of Halloween and where this American tradition was founded, will find the information in this article to be eye-opening. Knowing the history of Halloween can help many people decipher what to let their children take part in, and what to keep their children away from. Knowing the origin of Halloween can also help Christians view the adult, youth, and child activities associated with Halloween celebrations under the light of Christ's truths. The history of Halloween has been a mystery for too many years, and the origin of Halloween has confused many.
For years now, families have struggled with ever-increasing bad effects of a night spent exalting horror. Hospitals and authorities advise that parents examine or x-ray treats and that people be in their homes by 10 pm. Candies are poisoned, properties damaged, and vandalism has increased, all in the name of an ancient spiritual custom, the origin of Halloween. But, not so ancient is the modern day Halloween practices of occults and satanic worship that happen on the frightful fall evening. The modern day Halloween has become a mixture of several religious practices and a children's holiday. Take a look at the history of Halloween, and see how mixed up this confusing holiday has really become.
The origin of Halloween dates back before Christ. The Celtics' mythology taught that with the coming of winter, a season of the dead, came a night in which the spirits of the dead could freely roam about with humans. Some of these spirits would inflict suffering and violence upon man. To appease the spirits and the gods that were worshipped, the Celtic people would put out their best food offerings on the doorstep. Celtic priests would also offer sacrifices, animal and human, to the gods to ask for a return of the sun and in hopes that the gods would chase away the evil, frightening spirits. Often, the Celtics would wear dreadful costumes, hoping to fool an evil spirit with the disguise. There are practices from the history of Halloween that are still being practiced today. Click the links below to take a Halloween Quiz.
While the history of Halloween explains much about where modern day Halloween customs come from, (the origin of Halloween customs were brought to this country in the 1800's by the Irish) what about the modern day practices of the occults? Occults find their rituals associated with the same source, a time when the dead can easily communicate with the living therefore making divinations and sacrifices during the fall season opportune. In truth, the origin of Halloween has its root in Satan, the author of deception. ".... for he (the devil) is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44)
It is interesting how much the modern day American practices and the modern day witchcraft have in common with the ancient beliefs of the Celtic people. Considering that Satan is the father of lies for all time, it can be seen how we are continually deceived. "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through fire, or that useth divination or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch." (Deuteronomy 17:10) Study more about the history of Halloween and how the origin of Halloween negatively affects how we honor God today.
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Halloween had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle...... etc.
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......Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to....
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...The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year....
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One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living....
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In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1. The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Despite this connection with the Roman Church, the American version of Halloween Day celebration owes its origin to the ancient (pre-Christian) Druidic fire festival called "Samhain", celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.........
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In the 1800s, as a lot of people emigrated to the U.S., the holidays and traditions of different cultures merged. Halloween was not always a happy time. October 31, or the night before took on other names. Some called it Devil's or Hell night, to others it was mischief night. Here in Vermont, the night before is called cabbage night. To some people this became a time to play tricks on others. Some of these tricks were not fun at all. Luckily, community groups and individuals took action and started to change Halloween into a family event. Dressing up in costumes and going "trick or treating", costume parades, community parties and Fall festivals are some of the ways that Halloween is celebrated today.................
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......One person who's done such a dig is Rosemary Ellen Guiley. According to Guiley, the origins of Halloween are a lot like the origins of Christmas and Easter as we practice them today--Ancient Roman, Catholic, and European Pagan lore, all blended together..........
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.....The Celts were people who worshiped the beauty of nature. They worshiped a Sun God and believed that without him, they would not live. They also worshipped Samhain who was the lord of the dead and of the cold, dark winter season. They believed that on October 31 Samhain would call together all of the dead and these souls would take on the shape of an animal......
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Many of the customs of the Celts survived even after the people became Christians. During the 800's, the church established All Saints' Day on November 1. The people made the old pagan customs part of this Christian holy day. The Catholic church later began to honor the dead on November 2. This day became known as All Souls' Day. Read the rest of this article at Annie's Halloween History page
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....These four major holy days have been referred to as “fire festivals” for at least the last hundred years or so, because (1) to the ancient Celts, as with all the Indo-European Paleopagans, fire was a physical symbol of divinity, holiness, truth, and beauty; (2) fires play important roles in the traditional customs associated with these festivals; and (3) several early Celtic scholars called them.....
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Halloween, one of the world's oldest holidays, is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe. The autumn rite is commemorated in the United Kingdom, although with a surprising and distinctive British twist. In Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, All Souls' Day, the third day of the three-day Hallowmas observance, is the most important part of the celebration for many people. In Ireland and Canada, Halloween, which was once a frightening and superstitious time of year, is celebrated much as it is in the United States, with.........Read the rest of this article at http://www.halloweenishere.com/history.html
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Around the eigth century, the Christian church made November 1 All Saints' Day to honor all of the saints that didn't have a special day of their own. Over the years these festivals combined, the mass held on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmas (the mass of all Hallows - saintly people). The night before was known as All Hallows Eve. Eventually this name became Halloween......
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