Halloween Origins

The Celtic festival of Samhain In the early centuries of the first millennium A.D., before missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columcille converted them to Christianity, the Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids, who were priests, poets, scientists and scholars all at once. At the end of the nineteenth … Read more

Also know as: ShadowFest, Martinmas, Old Hallowmass. Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signaled the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troops were quartered. Fairies were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it, the half-year is reckoned. … Read more

The Álfablót or the Elven sacrifice is a pagan Scandinavian sacrifice to the elves believed to occur around the same time of the year as Halloween towards the end of autumn, when the crops had been harvested and the animals were most fat. Unlike the great blóts at Uppsala and Mære, the álfablót was a … Read more

It was believed that Halloween was the gathering time for unsanctified spirits. During the Middle Ages grew up the belief in a cult of witches devoted to the worship of Satan. They would held periodic meetings, called Witches Sabbaths; the most important of which was All Hallows’ Eve. At this Sabbath the Prince of Darkness … Read more

Halloween is the America’s second largest commercial holiday after Christmas, a retail opportunity estimated at $10.14 billion – a major increase from 15 years ago when spending totaled $4.8 billion. The National Confectioners Association reported in 2021 that Americans spend $21 million on Halloween candies yearly second only to Christmas in total sales. Halloween is … Read more

The word Hallowe’en [/ˌhæl.əʊˈiːn/] comes from the Scottish expression Allhallow-even used for the very first time in the 16th century shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before “All Hallows’ Day” (also known as “All Saints’ Day”). The date Oct. 31 is described as alle halwe eue by c. 1300. Hallow-day for All-Saints Day … Read more

Universal Halloween is celebrated internationally. Unlike Christmas, Easter or Passover, Halloween is not associated with a particular religion. Yet it weaves spirituality, death and religious beliefs into our present and historical imaginations. Many of Halloween symbols are universal; they are familiar to people in many parts of the world. Yet, each cultural group sees the … Read more