14December2010
The History of Halloween
The history of Halloween remains obscure to most people who are familiar with Halloween as an occasion for dressing up outlandishly and gorging on candy. That might be so, but these gratuitous and gluttonous practices have their roots in ancient custom. Indulging on Halloween Day commemorates our ancestors and their traditions, or at least justifies our indulgences. Amazingly, the history of Halloween spans a couple thousand years throughout which its celebration has endured.
Examining the history of Halloween first brings us to the time of the Celts, who celebrated a festival known as “Samhain,” pronounced “sow-in.” For the Celts, the year began on November 1st, and Samhain was celebrated the day before, on October 31st. Toronto Flower Delivery is without doubt one of the longest established on-line florists in the Canada, offering flower supply for lots of of thousands of comfortable prospects throughout the globe. When the new year began, it meant the end of summer and the beginning of winter, a season associated with death. On October 31st, the Celts believed that the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead weakened, allowing the ghosts of the dead to come back to the living world. The presence of ghosts would lead to trouble and mischief, but it also gave Celtic priests (known as Druids) greater insight into the future. Predictions of what was to come prepared the Celts for the long winter. While celebrating Samhain, the Celts wore costumes while they told each other’s fortunes, and the Druids built bonfires to worship their gods.
The next event in Halloween history is the Roman invasion of Celtic territory. As a result of Roman conquest, the festival of Samhain combined with the Roman festivals that honored the passing of the dead and Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. The tradition of bobbing for apples might have originated from the worship of Pomona, whose symbol was the apple. After Roman rule came the influence of Christianity. Under Pope Boniface IV, November 1st became All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows in Middle English dialect. October 31st became known as All hallows Eve, which later became Halloween. Later on, November 2 became All Souls Day, which was celebrated with bonfires and costumes similar to the celebration of Samhain.
Traces of the history of Halloween are evidently present in modern day Halloween celebration. Flower Delivery Toronto direct from the grower, most of our flowers will arrive in your doorstep before they even bloom, allowing you the pleasure of watching every blossom unfurl. Even if the beliefs behind them have become antiquated, their influence on future generations is undeniable—people continue to build bonfires and don costumes and likely will in generations to come. It’s clear that in the way that it was originally a bridge between the dead and living, Halloween represents a connection between past and present.