Show Origins Unknown To Many Justin Contributing Writer Every year at this time advertisements for haunted houses surround us Theaters feature the latest horror movies and costumes become important for parties But as we approach the Halloween holiday the history of the holiday holiday holiday hol hol- iday is unknown to many The holidays holiday's origins date back nearly 2000 years The Celts who lived in Ireland England and Northern France celebrated their new year on November 1 The landscape would turn from a vibrant living green to a sparse and empty brown Leaves fell off the trees plants died and darkness was more prominent as the days grew shorter Due to the living living living liv liv- ing conditions in those times many people did not survive the winter months be it because of illness and disease or cold and starvation The Celts of this time believed that on the last day of the harvest October 31 the boarders between the dead and the living worlds were opened They celebrated a feast and festival called pronounced sow in During the festival the Celts would light enormous fires bon-fires and dress in costumes costumes costumes cos cos- usually composing of the skull and hides of dead animals They made sacrifices sacrifices sacrifices of crops and animals in these bon They believed that those thos spirits passing through on the night of were those of loved ones who had died in times past and were welcomed welcomed welcomed wel wel- by most in an attitude of celebration They also believed that the Druids who were the religious leaders of the Celts could see into the future more clearly at the time of They made pre pre- pre pre- dictions about the coming winter months prophecies that were very important to the people of those times Around this time the theRoman theRoman theRoman Roman Empire was conquering conquering conquering conquer conquer- ing most of the European con con- By AD 43 they had conquered the area occupied by the Celts Slowly over the next four hundred years the theRoman theRoman theRoman Roman holidays of of and a day honoring the goddess goddess goddess god god- dess Pomona were combined with the Celtic holiday of The roman holiday of was a day in late October in which the Romans commemorated their dead Pomona was the goddess of fruit and trees Pomona was represented by the symbol of the apple This explains why the game of bobbing for apples is typically associated with Halloween Later as the influences of Christianity spread to the area the church wanted to create a sanctioned church-sanctioned holiday to replace the Celtic festival of It incorporated incorporated incorporated All Saints Day which was typically celebrated on November 1 to commemorate commemorate commemorate rate saints and martyrs of times past Eventually the name was changed to I Halloween and the holiday was celebrated over a three day period from October 31 to November 2 The symbols associated with Halloween are mostly of innocent origins The ghosts and skeletons represent the dead that would visit from the world of spirits Witches were not even associated with the holiday originally but inserted during the clashing of Christian and pagan holidays in medieval times Cats and o lanterns were also an addition during medieval times For some reason they See Halloween continued on page f Jc Ii 1 JR J R Halloween a II oween J J continued from front were feared by many in that area Today the holiday of Halloween is more a commercial event than anything A chance for children tostock tostock to tostock stock up on candy and dress up in costumes People visit haunted houses and see scary movies but little religious importance is attached to the holiday and fewer even know of the origins of the holiday |