The celebration of Samhain, an ancient Celtic harvest festival, is where Halloween got its start (pronounced sow-in). The first of November was the day on which the Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the region that is now ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated the beginning of their new year. This day signified the end of summer as well as the harvest, and it signaled the beginning of the dark, frigid winter, a time of year that was often connected with the passing of human beings. The ancient Celts had a strong belief that on the night before the new year, the line that divided the realms of the living and the dead grew more hazy. On the evening of October 31, they celebrated the samhain holiday, which was observed during the time when it was thought that the spirits of the departed visited the living. Celts believed that the existence of otherworldly spirits made it simpler for druids, or celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. This was in addition to the fact that celts believed that these spirits caused difficulty and caused damage to crops. These prophesies were an essential source of solace and guidance for a people who were wholly reliant on the unpredictability of the natural world, particularly during the protracted and bleak winter. In order to mark the occasion, the druids created enormous holy bonfires. Around these flames, the people congregated to offer burnt offerings of crops and animals to the celtic deities. During the festival, the Celts would dress up in costumes that often consisted of animal heads and skins, and they would do their best to divine the futures of one another. After the festivities were ended, they went to the holy bonfire and rekindled the flames in their fireplaces, which they had put out earlier that evening. They did this so that they would be better protected from the cold weather that was to come. By the year 43, the Romans had taken control of the bulk of the land that belonged to the Celts. Samhain, a celebration with deep roots in Celtic culture, became intertwined with two holidays with roots in Roman culture during the Romans’ 400-year control over the Celtic kingdoms. These roman holidays were celebrated in conjunction with the original Samhain holiday. The first was a day known as feralia, which was observed during the end of the month of October and was historically a Roman holiday honoring the loss of loved ones. The second day of the week was dedicated to celebrating Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees and orchards. The apple is considered to be the emblem of Pomona, and the fact that this festival was included into Samhain likely explains why bobbling for apples is considered to be a traditional activity associated with Halloween. By the beginning of the eighth century, the impact of Christianity had already made its way into celtic regions. All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, is celebrated annually on November 1. It was established by Pope Boniface IV in the seventh century. Today, many people think that Pope Boniface VIII tried to supplant the ancient Celtic feast of the dead with a holiday that was conceptually similar but officially recognized by the church. It was also known as all-hallows or all-hallowmas (from the Middle English word alholowmesse, which meant all saints’ day), and the night preceding it, the night of samhain, gradually became known as all-hallows eve and, finally, halloween. Even later, in the year 1000, the church would designate November 2 as All Souls’ Day, a day to commemorate and pay respect to those who have passed away. It was observed in a manner comparable to that of Samhain; festivities included large bonfires, parades, and the donning of costumes representing saints, angels, and demons. All three of these holidays, the Eve of All Saints, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day, were together referred to as Hallowmas. I’m the creator of the weekly advice piece one geek to another, which provides etiquette and manners for living a contemporary lifestyle. In addition, I am a professional writer who focuses on fashion trends. You may find other samples of my work, including one geek to another, on the website ggwinterbootsoutlet.com. uggs outlet, uggs for guys, and send this article to a friend are some of the linked articles to this one. get email updates including stories much like this one right to your inbox.
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