FOG BLOG FOLKLORE LOG: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN, TODAY IS TUES. OCT 31ST, TRICK OR TREAT, HALLOWEEN!
What's the Origin of Halloween—and Why Do We Celebrate It on October 31? We scared up all of the details for you. The word "Halloween" comes from All Hallows' Eve and means "hallowed evening."
The history of Halloween dates back to a pagan festival called Samhain.
Hundreds of years ago, people dressed up as saints and went door-to-door, which is the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating. As the leaves turn vibrant autumn shades, temperatures drop, and you start to pull out sweaters and jackets, it's time to deck out your porch with pumpkins and get to carving. Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is just around the corner, which means an evening of fun filled with costumes, spooky treats, trick-or-treating, Halloween party games, and (for adults only) boo-zy Halloween cocktails.
Amidst all the festivities, do you ever wonder about the origin and history of Halloween, such as what it its meaning and is it pagan or Christian? The answer: It's complicated—and also shaped by secular pop culture through the ages. So let's dive into fun facts about the holiday and how its most popular traditions evolved. What Does Halloween Mean?
The current English name Halloween traces back to medieval Christianity. The word hallow is derived from the Middle and Old English words for holy. As a noun, it can also mean saint. In those days, the Christian holiday we know as All Saints' Day was called All Hallows' Day, and the day before, when an evening mass was held, was All Hallows' Eve. That three-word name eventually got shortened to Halloween. Why Do We Celebrate Halloween on October 31?
The ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which occurred on November 1 but kicked off the evening before, is considered the earliest known root of some of our secular Halloween traditions. It marked a pivotal time of year when seasons changed, but more importantly, observers also believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin, enabling them to connect with the dead. This is also where Halloween gains its "haunted" connotations.
The path to the Christian Halloween date of October 31 is a little more complex. Pope Boniface IV began All Saints Day in the early 7th century when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the saints, but the day was May 13. In the next century, Pope Gregory III changed the day to November 1 when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to the saints. Yet another century later, Pope Gregory IV added All Saints Day to the Christian calendar, extending the celebration from Rome to churches everywhere. With All Saints Day came All Hallows' Eve on October 31. This was, perhaps, an effort to offset the pagan celebration of Samhain with a religious celebration.
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