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Halloween was originated during the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain more than 2000 years ago. The Celtic population who celebrated this event lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the northern part of France. At the time, the New Year took place on the first day of November and Halloween. The reason was that the Celtic people believed that this was a day of the rise of the dead and the deceased persons would walk around for possessing the souls on earth.

The Samhain celebration took place on the last night of October as it represented the end of the summer and the harvest. This was also the beginning of darker days and a cold winter approaching. There was a common belief between the Celts that the ghost's people who had died had returned to the earth.

Samhain is the Celtic word which signifies the end of summer. The Celtic people also believed that the presence of these ghosts made it easier for the Celtic priests, also called Druids, to make predictions for the future.

Halloween was also a time of sacrifice to the Gods and the Druids build large bonfires to prepare for this; they burnt crops and animals as sign to commemorate this event.They believed these fires had the power to keep these evil spirits away. People stayed close together and their costumes of animals heads would frighten these spirits and was meant as a security for their safety.

The dressing of the Celtic people was very special during this event. They used masks or animals skins when they left their home and then they gathered around the fires to tell the fortunes of one another. After the celebration they took the torches lit from the bonfires and relit their heart fires which they had extinguished before. This kind of relighting was done to ensure they should protect them during the cold days of winter.

When the Celts were conquered by the Romans, the two festivals were combined with the original festival of Samhain:
- Ferelia: A day on the end of October when the Romans commemorated the passing of the death
- A day to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees: The symbol of this day is the apple and the tradition of bobbing for apples which is nowadays practiced with the modern Halloween festivities is originated from Pomona.

In the 7th century Pope Boniface IV proclaimed the first day of November All Saint's Day and there was a common belief that he was trying to replace the Celtic festival of the death by a religious day for Christian people to honor saints and martyrs. The name given to this day was All-hallowness and the night before was called All-Hallows; from there this evolved into the name Halloween. Later in 1000 AD the church proclaimed the second day of November All Soul's Day in honor of the dead.

Today Halloween is celebrated worldwide. There are many parades with people dressed in costumes, many of which represent witches and ghosts. It is more of a commercial event nowadays than a real honor of the spirits of the dead people. It sometimes looks a little bit horrible but children especially like this event. After all, who doesn't like the pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie?

Halloween is a day of fun. Each year many people enjoy it and you can see the wonderful Halloween decorations in the street and on people's homes.

However, Christians tried to replace Halloween by their own peaceful celebration "All Saint's Day" the young Christian people keep this popular event alive through many parades of witches and ghosts, and decorations of pumpkins. Don't forget to remember the spirits of the deaths the real origin of Halloween and so will the true spirit exist forever.

Learn more about this author, Erik Van Tongerloo.
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