Palm Beach County did you know Halloween history? The holiday’s history is less about fun and more about religious superstitions. Halloween began about 2,000 years as an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. Samhain signaled the end of summer and was held on November 1st. It was considered the beginning of the new year.
The end of summer meant the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. The Celtic people believed that, at this time of year, the dead could pass into the world of the living. So, to protect themselves from evil spirits, people would dress up as evil creatures in the hopes of scaring the bad spirits. The Celts also built large bonfires, or “bone fires,” where they burned crops and animals as a sacrifice to their gods.
After the Roman Empire conquered the Celts, they added their own celebrations known as Feralia. It was typically celebrated in late October to honor the dead. Years later, the Catholic Church started to integrate pagan celebrations into its own teachings to encourage new converts.
Catholic leaders declared November 1 to be All Saints Day or All Hallows Day. It was to honor the deceased. It was celebrated, with bonfires and costumes. The night before this celebration was the traditional Samhain celebration, which later became known as All Hallows Eve, or modern-day Halloween.
All these traditions were brought to the U.S. as immigrants moved to America. and as the traditions blended. They progressed into the traditions of today.
