Halloweenisanannualcelebration,butjustwhatisitactuallyacelebrationof?Andhowdidthispeculiarcustomoriginate?Isit,assomeclaim,akindofdemonworship?Orisitjustaharmlessvestigeofsomeancientpaganritual?

　　Theworditself,"Halloween,"actuallyhasitsoriginsintheCatholicChurch.ItcomesfromacontractedcorruptionofAllHallowsEve.November1,"AllHollowsDay"(or"AllSaintsDay"),isaCatholicdayofobservanceinhonorofsaints.But,inthe5thcenturyBC,inCelticIreland,summerofficiallyendedonOctober31.TheholidaywascalledSamhain(sow-en),theCelticNewyear.

　　Onestorysaysthat,onthatday,thedisembodiedspiritsofallthosewhohaddiedthroughouttheprecedingyearwouldcomebackinsearchoflivingbodiestopossessforthenextyear.Itwasbelievedtobetheironlyhopefortheafterlife.TheCeltsbelievedalllawsofspaceandtimeweresuspendedduringthistime,allowingthespiritworldtointerminglewiththeliving.

　　Naturally,thestill-livingdidnotwanttobepossessed.SoonthenightofOctober31,villagerswouldextinguishthefiresintheirhomes,tomakethemcoldandundesirable.Theywouldthendressupinallmannerofghoulishcostumesandnoisilyparadedaroundtheneighborhood,beingasdestructiveaspossibleinordertofrightenawayspiritslookingforbodiestopossess.

　　ProbablyabetterexplanationofwhytheCeltsextinguishedtheirfireswasnottodiscouragespiritpossession,butsothatalltheCeltictribescouldrelighttheirfiresfromacommonsource,theDruidicfirethatwaskeptburningintheMiddleofIreland,atUsinach.

　　SomeaccountstellofhowtheCeltswouldburnsomeoneatthestakewhowasthoughttohavealreadybeenpossessed,assortofalessontothespirits.OtheraccountsofCeltichistorydebunkthesestoriesasmyth.

　　TheRomansadoptedtheCelticpracticesastheirown.ButinthefirstcenturyAD,SamhainwasassimilatedintocelebrationsofsomeoftheotherRomantraditionsthattookplaceinOctober,suchastheirdaytohonorPomona,theRomangoddessoffruitandtrees.ThesymbolofPomonaistheapple,whichmightexplaintheoriginofourmoderntraditionofbobbingforapplesonHalloween.

　　Thethrustofthepracticesalsochangedovertimetobecomemoreritualized.Asbeliefinspiritpossessionwaned,thepracticeofdressinguplikehobgoblins,ghosts,andwitchestookonamoreceremonialrole.

　　ThecustomofHalloweenwasbroughttoAmericainthe1840'sbyIrishimmigrantsfleeingtheircountry'spotatofamine.Atthattime,thefavoritepranksinNewEnglandincludedtippingoverouthousesandunhingingfencegates.

　　Thecustomoftrick-or-treatingisthoughttohaveoriginatednotwiththeIrishCelts,butwithaninth-centuryEuropeancustomcalledsouling.OnNovember2,AllSoulsDay,earlyChristianswouldwalkfromvillagetovillagebeggingfor"soulcakes,"madeoutofsquarepiecesofbreadwithcurrants.Themoresoulcakesthebeggarswouldreceive,themoreprayerstheywouldpromisetosayonbehalfofthedeadrelativesofthedonors.Atthetime,itwasbelievedthatthedeadremainedinlimboforatimeafterdeath,andthatprayer,evenbystrangers,couldexpediteasoul'spassagetoheaven.

　　TheJack-o-lanterncustomprobablycomesfromIrishfolklore.Asthetaleistold,amannamedJack,whowasnotoriousasadrunkardandtrickster,trickedSatanintoclimbingatree.