The Origin of Halloween

Every year on October 31st, Halloween is celebrated nation wide by kids and adults alike, but have you ever wondered what dressing up as Ghost and Goblins has to do with the day?

According to History, the Halloween we know today originated from an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced as sow-in). This festival celebrated by the Celts over 2,000 years ago was held on November 1st and marked the end of summer and harvest and the start of the cold and dark winter. The Celts also associated this time period with human death and believed on October 31st, the gates between the living world and the dead would be open. Because of this, they believed that the ghost of the dead returned to the world of the living.

Not only did the Celts believe the ghost of the dead would return during Samhain, it was believed that the Spirits would cause trouble and damage the crops. Celtic priest, known as Druids, would be able to make predictions about the future because of these Spirits, which the Celtic people would look too for comfort during the long and dark winter months. To commemorate the event, the Druids would build sacred bonfires where the Celtic people would gather to burn crops and make animal sacrifices to the Celtic Deities. While doing this, the Celtic people would wear costumes and mask, normally make from animal head and skins.

If you didn't know now you do! That of course is just one of the examples of Halloweens origins as many believe that other cultures have helped contribute to how we celebrate Halloween today! To learn more about Halloween and the many aspects that have shaped it, you can click here to be redirected to History's website!

Wake up with Jarred Becker every weekday morning from 6a-10a on AM 1390 KRFO
Connect with me on Social Media!
Twitter - @Jarred_Becker
Facebook - Jarred Becker