October 31
Historian Nicholas Rogers on the origin of All Hallows' Eve: while some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, whose original spelling was Samuin. The name is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end". A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf.
The
festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the
year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes regarded as
the "Celtic New Year".
The
ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld
became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass
through. The family's ancestors were honored and invited home while harmful
spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful
spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks.
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