The Origins of Halloween…from Druids to Guy Fawkes and Beyond
Author: Jason Lewis
Centuries ago in the age of the Druids the time between October 31st and November 2nd were considered pagan high holy days. Samhain was a special holiday time. This was the place where the distant roots began for our modern day Halloween. This was the time for fortunes to be read, communication to be done with spirits of ancestors and others, and a time of chaos and festivals. The Druid priests believed that time stopped and had no meaning for these few days. Chaos and celebrations reigned supreme. Adults would dress up although not in the Halloween costumes we have today. During the pagan celebration men dressed as women and the women dressed as men.
Children would wander from home to home hoping for food or fruit to be given to them. Tricks would be played on most of the inhabitants of the town. Cattle and horses might be led away to other areas of the town. Fences, gates, and even doors were knocked down or carted off to be discarded at the edge of roads or in ditches. The days were renamed by Christian priests in later years and October 31st became Halloween, November 1st became All Saints Day and November 2nd became All Souls Day.
There was movement to remove Halloween from the calendar and festivities hundreds of years ago because some did not like the fact of its link to the Druids. People liked the celebration and fun that Halloween offered and they refused to give up their Halloween fun. Today there is still some controversy over Halloween, but none can dispute that this is a fun and enjoyable holiday for all, especially children who get to dress in costumes and collect sweets to eat.
As the years passed, this time of year became the time when young men would take to the streets and would rush to many of the houses demanding food and drink. If no such reward was given then they were free to perform tricks or acts of vandalism as punishment. In some cases, the farmers did not have food to hand out and some simply did not want to participate. In both cases, they might have pranks or tricks played upon them by the passing band of revellers for not providing food and drink.
Tales of children begging for treats, known as soul cakes was recorded during All Souls Day in the Middle Ages. Costumed revellers would also dance and parade through the town streets and ask for treats as rewards during certain times of the year in Medieval times. This was especially popular in England and Ireland. Guy Fawkes’ Day with fireworks, costumed participants, and bonfires added to the mix of Halloween wonder. The original Guy Fawkes’ Day occurred in 1605 on November 5th.
The first mention of trick or treat did not occur until 1939. This really began the more modern celebration of Halloween that we are most familiar with today. Children are allowed to dress in festive costumes and go from house to house in search of sweets and goodies and there are no tricks to be played upon the homeowners if there are no treats. Today Halloween is meant as a time to have fun and adults and children both enjoy the spirit of the season by choosing creative costumes that can set them apart from the crowd.
Original article written for The Kids Window Ltd.
-Ends-
About the Author:
Notes for editors: The Kids Window is a UK based online department store based in Fulham, London selling baby and children’s products through the web site http://www.TheKidsWindow.com . For further information please contact: Jason Lewis, director, Tel: +44 (0) 207 471 1818
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Origins of Halloween…from Druids to Guy Fawkes and Beyond
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