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Samhain, the real Halloween story

Let’s discover together the Celtic origins of the Halloween party, better known with the name of Samhain with ancient origins traceable right in Ireland. Perhaps not everyone knows that Halloween was not born in America but has very ancient origins traceable to Ireland, when the green Erin was dominated by the Celts. Halloween corresponds in fact to Samhain, the Celtic New Year. From Ireland, the tradition was then exported to the United States by emigrants, who, driven by the terrible famine of the 19th century, went in large numbers to the new land. But let’s face together in detail the journey from the Ireland of the Celts to the present day, observing what happened and how, through the centuries, things have changed.

Halloween: etymology of the name

The name Halloween (in Irish Hallow E’en), comes from the contracted form of All Hallows’ Eve , where Hallow is the archaic English word that means Saint: the eve of all Saints, therefore. All Saints ‘Day, on the other hand, in English is All Hallows’ Day. The importance that, however, is given to the eve is deduced from the value of Celtic cosmology: this conception of time, albeit only formally and linguistically speaking, is very present in English-speaking countries, in which several parties are accompanied by the words “Eve” – “New Year’s Eve”, or “Christmas Eve”.

The Celts and the Samhain festivities

The rhythms of Celts life were, therefore, marked by the times that the breeding of livestock imposed, times different from those of the fields. At the end of the summer season, the shepherds brought their flocks back to the valley, to prepare for the arrival of winter and the beginning of the new year. For the Celts the new year began on November 1st, when the hot season officially ended and the season of darkness and cold began. The time in which they closed at home for many months, sheltering from the cold, making tools and spending evenings telling stories and legends.

The passage from summer to winter and from the old to the new year was celebrated with long celebrations, the Samhain. At that time of the year the fruits of the fields (which although not the main activity of the Celts, were nevertheless cultivated) were insured, the livestock had been well fed in the fresh air and mountain pastures and the stocks for the winter had been prepared.

Together with Samhain (31 October, in fact) are celebrated Lughnasadh (1 August), Beltane (30 April or 1 May), Imbolc (1-2 February), Yule (21 December), Ostara (21 March), Litha (21 June ) and Mabon (September 21). The advent of Christianity has not completely canceled these holidays, but in many cases it has superimposed itself on them, giving them contents and meanings different from the original ones. The death was the main theme of the party, in tune with what was happening in nature: during the winter season life seems to be silent, when in fact it renews underground, where traditionally, among other things, buried the dead.

During the night of October 31, gatherings were held in the woods and on the hills for the ceremony of the lighting of the Sacred Fire and animal sacrifices were made. Dressed in painted masks, the Celts returned to the village, making themselves light with lanterns which the embers of the Holy Fire were placed. After these rites the Celts celebrated for 3 days, masking themselves with the skins of animals killed to scare the spirits. In Ireland, the custom spread of lighting torches outside the doors and leaving food and milk for the souls of the dead.

The advent of Christianity

The evangelization of the British Isles brought with it a new concept of life, very distant from the Celtic one and during this period the Church tried to eradicate the pagan cults, but did not always succeed. Halloween was not completely canceled, but was somehow Christianized, through the establishment of All Saints’ Day on November 1st and, later, the commemoration of the dead on November 2nd. It was Odilo of Cluny, in 998 AD, who initiated what would have been a new and long-lived tradition of Western societies. Then he made arrangements for the monasteries dependent on the abbey to celebrate the rite of the dead starting from the evening of November 1st. A custom that soon spread throughout Christian Europe, only to reach Rome later.

The Feast of All Saints, in fact, was celebrated for the first time in Rome on May 13, 609 AD, on the occasion of the consecration of the Pantheon to the Virgin Mary. Subsequently, Pope Gregory III established that the Feast of All Saints was celebrated no longer on May 13, but on November 1, as had been happening for some time in France. It was around the 9th century AD that the Feast of All Saints was officially institutionalized and then extended to the whole Church by Pope Gregory IV. The Orthodox Christians are an exception, and consistently with the first celebrations, they still celebrate All Saints’ Day in the spring, the Sunday following Pentecost.

The influence of the Samhain cult was not, however, eradicated and for this reason the Church added, in the 10th century: November 2, Day of the Dead.

From Ireland to the United States

Towards the middle of the 19th century, Ireland was hit by a terrible famine, still remembered today with great participation by the Irish. At that time to escape poverty, many people decided to leave the island and try their luck in the United States, where they created, like many other nationalities, a strong community. Within it the traditions and customs of their homeland were kept alive, and among them on October 31st Halloween was celebrated.

More recently, the United States, thanks to cinema and television, have exported the celebrations of Halloween all over the world, also infecting that part of Europe that had remained foreign to it. In many films and TV series the famous pumpkin and masked children knocking on doors often appear. And finally, there are many books and horror stories that take Halloween as a background or as a starting point for their plots. In the United States, Halloween has lost its religious and ritual meanings, and has become an occasion to have fun and organize expensive and cheerful celebrations.

Apparently Americans spend two and a half million dollars each year on Halloween costumes, decorations and parties for October 31st!