With all the excitement of the holiday season and the new traditions that have made their way into modern culture, it can be hard to remember where the holidays came from and the importance of the original traditions. Too often, Halloween is associated with costumes and candy, but in its early days, the meaning of Halloween held great importance in Scotland, Ireland and Great Britain. Unfortunately, over time, these traditions have been forgotten.
Halloween actually began as Samhain, a ceremony held between the Celts and their ancestors. It also marked the end of the winter solstice, as well as a prosperous harvest. According to tradition, this was the only night of the year when the spirits were free to walk the earth. The origin suggests that Celtic families hid in their homes out of fear of these spirits or coming into contact with them.
Many symbols used today, such as the jack-o-lantern, originated from this ceremony. Jack-o-lanterns originated from an Irish folktale, Stingy Jack, a greedy alcoholic who tricked the devil into climbing a tree and then trapped him by carving a simple cross into the trunk. The devil cursed Jack and he was forced to walk the earth for all eternity.
The Samhain ceremony was followed by All Hallows Eve, celebrated on the first of November. The souls would be banished once more and would no longer be free to roam the earth. Although many of the traditions have been lost over time, the origins of Halloween and the beliefs that were practiced at this time help modern celebrations with their own symbols.
The actual origins of Halloween and the meaning of the symbols that characterized this day have been forgotten, even by historians. The true meaning of the celebration has been somewhat superseded by what Hollywood thinks it should mean. However, in modern Celtic Ireland, Samhain is still celebrated for the serious holiday that it is and as a time to pray for family members’ safe entry into heaven.