What is Halloween Anyway?

I know, it is a bit early for Halloween, but I wanted to share a little about Halloween before I share some quilling projects for everyone.

I guess there is no definitive answer for how Halloween came about, but this is one thought.

Several sources say that it dates back to the Celts who believed that on October 31st the spirits of the dead walk the earth / come out of their tombs. They would do things to frighten the ghosts like wearing scary costumes and lighting fires. They also had lucky foods that they ate like apples and nuts.

Many of the things we associate with Halloween are from the Celts. Black is the color of winter and long nights and Orange is the color of the harvest. Black cats were thought to have special powers (makes me want to do something on superstitions).

This Celtic tradition was married with the Christian practices after the Romans invaded. In the Christian tradition, November 1st was All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day). The mass that the Catholic Church celebrated on November 1st was the mass of all the hallowed (saintly people). So, this meant that October 31st was All Hallows' Eve which later became Halloween.

Happy Halloween!


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