Halloween is a day we celebrate candy, dress up in costumes, and play tricks on our neighbors. Is Halloween just a holiday to celebrate fun, frolicking, and making Hershey incredibly wealthy?
Halloween actually has a deep dark past and a rich history that was celebrated by Celtic cultures in Great Britain and Northern Europe. It is yet another holiday appropriated from pagans in order to convert them.
Are Halloween and Samhain the Same Thing?
No, they are separate holidays although they share a common history. Halloween is a secular holiday and Samhain is a religious holiday.
Halloween has become a secular folk holiday that is considered a fun night out with trick-or-treating and haunted houses. Halloween emphasizes the make-believe and fantasy aspect of witches, fairies, and ghouls.
Samhain is a religious holiday that focuses on connections and communication with our ancestors. Death is part of the natural cycle and during this time of moving into a darker colder season, we reflect on what that means.
Check out our blog SAMHAIN: CONNECTING WITH THE SPIRIT WORLD
Many modern pagans celebrate both Halloween and Samhain. Some celebrate one or the other for their own reasons. It’s what is right for you.
The History of Halloween or Samhain
In modern Irish the word Samhain means November. This is the reason that All Souls Day occurs on November 1st. Also known as Eve of All Hallows Day which was shortened to Halloween.
Modern Irish refer to “Halloween” as Oiche Shamhna or the Eve of November.
Samhain dates back to the Neolithic period. Archaeologists have located monuments and historical sites which align with the sunrise during this time period. These sites have revealed bones intertwined, suggesting a religious devotion to the dead.
Ireland as with many other Celtic areas did not become Christianized overnight as many people assume. The conversion took hundreds of years. Many pagan traditions were blended into Christianity to make it palatable for the people.
From Spirits To Ghosts
Samhain was all about connecting with the ancestors and seeking their guidance. As the church gained a foothold they change the way we view the dead. Instead of communicating with the dead spirits, people were taught to fear them.
Ghosts become something scary and were used to frighten and control people. The idea of ghosts was often merged with the idea of demons, beings that tormented mere mortals.
The joy of trick or treating!
Origins of Halloween Traditions
Trick or Treat
During Samhain, people left out food and set a place at the table for their ancestors.
Historically it was quite acceptable for children to go out on All Souls Eve to play tricks and wreak havoc. Written accounts of asking for treats go back to the 1500s.
In fact, it was even adults who went around to houses offering a bit of entertainment in exchange for food. The church encouraged households to make “soul cakes” to give to less fortunate members of their community. Thus doing away with the tradition of leaving food out for the dead.
This form of door-to-door begging was written about by William Shakespeare in 1593 in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
In the 1800s we see the “trick” come into play. Soaping windows, throwing eggs at houses, and putting molasses on chairs were some fun tricks of that era.
Love Halloween and Spooky animals? This is a fun activity book for your kids! !
Jack O Lanterns
Fall vegetables figure prominently in both Samhain and Halloween.
The original Jack O Lantern was a turnip carved out to hold a candle inside. It was felt that the light would scare away unwanted spirits.
The idea of putting a light inside a turnip comes from the legend of Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack captured the devil and only released him on the devil’s promise to not send Stingy Jack to (the Christian) hell.
However, Stingy Jack still didn’t get into heaven and wandered Purgatory with a lump of coal that was resting inside of a carved-out turnip. This eventually lead to carving scary faces on turnips and later pumpkins to protect humans from ghosts or the devil himself.
Check out our book on celebrating Samhain
Bobbing For Apples
The traditional activity of bobbing for apples is actually connected with divination and the Roman goddess Pomona. Another tradition from the celebration of Pomona is candied apples.
Bobbing for apples is a tradition based on love and romance and originates in the divination and spells young ladies would perform to find a male suitor.
Costumes
Before Christendom, the Druids would dress in animal skins to lead religious activities during Samhain. They would often communicate with their ancestors.
After the church developed the attitude that the ghosts were scary and evil, people began to wear masks if they went out at night. They felt it fooled the ghosts so they could travel safely in the dark nights of winter.
Bats
Pre-electricity meant nighttime was scary and full of the unknown.
Bats have long been feared because they are nocturnal animals that fly. Author and Scientists from Ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder, wrote that you should catch a bat and circle your house with it three times to ward off bad luck.
Sadly, many people today are still frightened of bats when in fact they contribute greatly to our environment by eating insects such as mosquitos.
Black Cats
Cats have a long history as pagan familiars. The Ancient Egyptian Goddess Bastet was herself portrayed as a cat.
During the Middle Ages when the church whipped fury against witches at its height, it was a common belief that witches turned into black cats in order to avoid persecution. This also led to the persecution of older single women who befriended stray cats.
Black cats were also seen as the devil.
Coming to America
Halloween was actually slow to catch on in America. The Puritans frowned upon such frivolity and it went against their strict religious beliefs.
Colonies in the south celebrated more of an autumn harvest festival.
It was an influx of immigrants, particularly the Irish, during the later 1800s that brought trick-or-treat celebrations to the states. Communities began to have Halloween parties where people dressed in costumes, played games, and ate seasonal foods.
Author, Ame Vanorio, is a lifelong pagan, environmental educator, and the founder of CPH.
Bastet is a goddess from ancient Egypt, and many Pagans honor her in their practice. We often think of her as the “cat goddess”.
In this article, we will explore the signs Bastet is calling you, who she is, what she represents, and how to work with her on your Pagan path.