Halloween origins are in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain is a celebration of the ending of Summer. It was celebrated on the Full Moon nearest Nov 1st. The word Halloween is a shortened version of All Hallows' Eve, based on the celebration of All Saints (or Hallows) Day on the following day.
It was believed by the Celts that the origin of a day was in the night, therefore the holiday begins at sunset of the previous day. This is also why Samhain was celebrated as the beginning of the New Year - the beginning is in the darkness as decay leads to new growth. The exact meaning of the word "Samhain" is uncertain, but may mean "Summer's End". In modern Gaelic it is the word for November. In later times it was adopted by the Church as All Saints' and All Souls' Days respectively.
This was a time to assess supplies and prepare winter stores. It is considered the third and final harvest of the season. The first is the grain harvest, usually around August. The second is the harvest of fruits such as apples and berries. The third harvest of Halloween is the blood harvest. Livestock that is too weak to survive Winter is slaughtered at this time. I've also heard that this is also when wild animals are hunted as well. Also, the cattle are moved from higher to lower pastures.
The Celts believed that at the festival of Samhain the dead are able to come back and visit with the living. This is a liminal time when normal boundaries do not apply. All sorts of odd and uncanny things can happen, as an examination of Celtic myth shows. The seasonal complement to Samhain, which also possesses these liminal qualities is Beltane (celebrated around May 1st). But Beltane is a celebration of growth and outward expansion as the light waxes and the Earth greens (at least in Northern Europe - May can be pretty parched in California) whereas Samhain celebrates the waning of light and dissolution and decay.
The Dia de los Muertos in Mexico is based on these European beliefs with influence also from indigenous cultures, which had their own cult of the dead. In some parts of modern Spain and Portugal similar cemetery visits are made as in Mexico. This holiday is a syncretization of both European and Mesoamerican customs honoring the dead.
I strongly encourage our readers to honor their ancestors on this day! Leave a Jack-o-Lantern in the window to guide them to your hearth and prepare traditional foods to welcome them home.
Note: Thanks to Jill for this educational and insightful post. None of you really thought it was me did you?
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