Olympia Smajlaj: A short presentation about the historic roots of Halloween

– A short presentation synthesized by me about the historic roots of Halloween, or the real celebration Samhain. (I’ve left out lots of things since there is a lot to tell but I tried to highlight the most important). ?

Samhain was a pagan celebration that was held 2000 years ago by Celtic people. According to some calendars found they considered 31 October as their New Year and Samhain (or also November) marked the beginning of the cold period, while Beltaine respectively on 1 May, marked the beginning of the warm period.

Now Samhain, meant the end of harvest, of food, sun and everything that was essential for living.So what did the Celts do in spite of the ‘worst part of the year’? Honor their gods and sacrifice food and drinks for them so they could ease the season they were about to enter. Thus the relation to the bonfires. As for the belief of how thin the boundary between the dead and the living was supposed to be the night of 31 October that remains on myth standards. Did the druids sacrifice people? They were the elite of the Celtic people with priests, artists, scientists and is quite unlikely they would have suggested such. Roman written sources of Big Wicker Men that contained people and animals that would be lit on fire as a Gods Worship was highly subjective since Romans had a fancy of writing history as it favored them in order to make themselves look the smartest and the most cultured people while everyone else they’d usurp was ‘primitive’ and ‘uncivilized’.

How did Samhain turned to be Halloween nowadays?
– We firstly must ‘thank’ the creation of Christianity which tried to stop pagan traditions everywhere it found them. So in order to substitute peacefully Samhain they created 2 religious days, November the 1st – All Saints Day and on November the 2nd – All Souls Day. So, basically 31 October came to be All Saints Eve – All Hallows Eve – Hallows Eve – Halloween. (Not the first time of Christianity doing this. Same thing happened with the Christmas Tree which is originally a pagan tradition but Popes and Saints saw it more fit to not eradicate pagan traditions with violence but rather directing their worship objects towards Jesus symbol. Like yeah, keep your tree but instead of just loving the tree, love Jesus through the tree ? )

How did Samhain become a commercial modern celebration?
– Hello USA money magic. On the 19th century there were rushing a lot of Irish migrants because of a famine period that plagued Ireland. And it was enough time for a cultural diffusion to happen till the ’30s or ’40s when the first gatherings were happening between people celebrating and wearing costumes. Kids starting trick ‘r treating while it was something English poor people used to do before, while knocking on houses and asking for Soul Cakes in return of them praying for the families dead people.
Today is the second most profitable celebration in USA after Christmas with a budget of 6 billion around it. Why not right? It sells! Let’s use it. Money = Love (America’s life moto).

Jack ‘O Lanterns?
– They were originally turnips since pumpkins are native plants for North America, not Europe. Obviously since they were bigger, easier to carve and kinda sexier, Americans decided they’d make better Halloween lanterns of different purposes.

Happy Halloween everyone! Live and let live.
P.s This isnt close to a satanic feast. How on earth can it be? Satan came as an idea with Christianity and Church. There was no such thing as ‘Satan’ in Paganism. There only Gods, evil spirits and so on(just like in every primordial culture).
Soo nothing to be afraid. If you’re too light-hearted for a scary costume stay home! ? Toodles.