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"Then Jesus spoke to them again,
saying, "I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk
in darkness, but have the light of life."
John 8:12
Print This Bible Study
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The History of Halloween
October 31st is a night that glorifies the dark things of this world instead of the light of Jesus. History
traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics. They didn't worship the devil but they did
believe in gods, witches, elves and spirits. They had their own ideas of how they could gain access to the
spiritual world. They had 2 main feasts. One was called Beltane on May 1st and the other was called Samhain
celebrated on October 31st. Samhain was a false god and lord of the dead. Their new year began on November 1st.
They believed the false god Samhain would cause spirits of dead loved ones to rise out of their graves and
wander around the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they used to live or to possess living
bodies. The Celtic priests who carried out rituals were called Druids who lived more than 2,000 years ago
in Great Britain, Ireland and France.
That night October 31st they extinguished all their hearth fires and then re-lit them from a central fire
symbolizing the returning of life in the spring and for protection during the coming dark winter months.
Some say extinguishing the fires made their homes cold and undesirable to the wandering spirits. They
sacrificed animals to their gods in this "Fire Festival" of bonfires to ensure that the sun would return
after winter and frighten away these evil spirits.
By A.D 43, Romans had conquered much of Celtic land and adopted Celtic practices as their own. Two Roman
festivals were combined with the Celtic's Samhain. The first was Feralia in late October when the Romans
celebrated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and
trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple which is where the tradition of bobbing for apples probably came
from.
By the 800's, Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV declared
November 1st "All Saints Day" to honor saints and martyrs. It is believed he was attempting to replace
the Celtic festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. It was also called "All-Hallows" and the night before
it (October 31st), the night of Samhain, began to be called "All-Hallows Eve" and eventually, Halloween.
It was celebrated in the same way with bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes.
As European immigrants came to America, they brought various Halloween customs with them including events
to share stories of the dead, tell fortunes and mischief making. In the second half of the nineteenth
century, new immigrants helped Halloween become popular nationally. In the late 1800's America was turning
Halloween into more of a community get-together. By the 1920's it had become featured entertainment in
neighborhoods and towns. By 1950's it had evolved into a holiday mainly for the young children and
families could prevent "tricks" by giving out small treats.
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