ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN [from Writer's Almanac for 10/31/08, with Garrison Keillor:]: Read here
Excerpt: "the Christians co-opted both the Celtic and Roman celebrations." "The term for All Saints' Day in Middle English was Alholowmesse, or All-hallowmass. This became All-hallows, and so the night before was referred to as All-hallows Eve, and finally, Halloween." SEE DETAILS BELOW: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Today is Halloween. Halloween's origins date back about 2,000 years, to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts lived in the cold parts of Northern Europe - in Britain, Ireland, and the north of France - and so for them, the new year began on November 1st, the end of the fall harvest and the beginning of winter. [...:] The druids built huge bonfires [...:] dressed in costumes [...:] At the end of the celebration, they took a piece of the sacred bonfire and relit their own fires at home with this new flame, which was meant to help them stay warm through the long winter ahead.
"First the Romans co-opted Samhain and combined it with their festivals, and then the Christians co-opted both the Celtic and Roman celebrations. In the ninth century, the pope decided that these pagan festivals needed to be replaced with a Christian holiday, so he just moved the holiday called All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. All Saints' Day was a time for Christians to honor all the saints and martyrs of their religion. The term for All Saints' Day in Middle English was Alholowmesse, or All-hallowmass. This became All-hallows, and so the night before was referred to as All-hallows Eve, and finally, Halloween." FROM: Publicradio.org [FOR OCT. 31, 2008:] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[from Writer's Almanac for 10/31/08, with Garrison Keillor:]:
Read here
Excerpt:
"the Christians co-opted both the Celtic and Roman celebrations."
"The term for All Saints' Day in Middle English was Alholowmesse, or All-hallowmass. This became All-hallows, and so the night before was referred to as All-hallows Eve, and finally, Halloween."
SEE DETAILS BELOW:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Today is Halloween. Halloween's origins date back about 2,000 years, to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts lived in the cold parts of Northern Europe - in Britain, Ireland, and the north of France - and so for them, the new year began on November 1st, the end of the fall harvest and the beginning of winter. [...:] The druids built huge bonfires [...:] dressed in costumes [...:] At the end of the celebration, they took a piece of the sacred bonfire and relit their own fires at home with this new flame, which was meant to help them stay warm through the long winter ahead.
"First the Romans co-opted Samhain and combined it with their festivals, and then the Christians co-opted both the Celtic and Roman celebrations. In the ninth century, the pope decided that these pagan festivals needed to be replaced with a Christian holiday, so he just moved the holiday called All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. All Saints' Day was a time for Christians to honor all the saints and martyrs of their religion. The term for All Saints' Day in Middle English was Alholowmesse, or All-hallowmass.
This became All-hallows, and so the night before was referred to as All-hallows Eve, and finally, Halloween."
FROM: Publicradio.org
[FOR OCT. 31, 2008:]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~