Holy Halloween!

 This week, as I'm thinking about getting out the Halloween candy for trick or treaters and carving my pumpkin, it dawned on me that I really don't know much about the history of Halloween.

I've always enjoyed seeing the little children in their costumes as they come to the door for treats and I had plenty of fun when my own kids were small. I know that it falls on the eve of All Saints Day and is supposed to be a time when the ghouls roam or something like that, but I admit, the details are a little fuzzy.

So, I did a little research and found out it really has a fascinating history. Halloween comes from an ancient Celtic festival called "Samhein" meaning summer's end, when they believed the dead could walk among the living. Christianity eventually adopted this tradition, as it did many pagan ideas. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory lll established November 1 as All Saints Day and the night before became "Hallow" or holy, hence Halloween. Rather than being a time when ghosts and ghouls roamed loose, it was meant to be a time to honor and pay respects to the dead. 

It is believed that the tradition of trick or treating began in the United Kingdom when people went from house to house asking for small loaves of bread in exchange for prayer as a way to celebrate this holy day. It seems to have made its way to America in the 1800's, when Scottish and Irish communities brought the tradition of "souling" and "guising" (the practice of dressing in costume and begging for treats) and made it a tradition that has been popular ever since.

I guess I now have a new perspective on Halloween after learning all that history. I like the idea of honoring those who've passed on, spending some time in prayer and then just having some good old-fashioned fun!