Op-Ed: Halloween’s Celtic roots are a lot spookier than witches and candy bars
In the United States, Halloween is a tradition that has been passed along from the Native Americans. In New England specifically, the festivities are known as “pumpkin night.”
If Halloween falls on a Saturday, the holiday is known as Samhain. The first recorded Samhain was on Halloween night, October 31, and is believed to be the feast of the dead, or Nuit Blanche.
Some people may consider Halloween to be only a day for spooking children. But as is the case with most cultural holidays, Halloween is much more than just a spook holiday. It has an origin in the Celtic calendar and was a celebration of the end of winter, as it was believed that the season of cold and darkness would be a short one.
However, the Celtic connection with Halloween has led to some interesting history.
According to a study by the University of Ulster, Halloween has its roots in the Celtic calendar. A study conducted in 2005 looked at the origins of Halloween and came to the conclusion that it came from the Celtic festival of Imbolc. This, in turn, is believed to have its roots to the Christian festival of AllHallows Eve.
A second study, done by a researcher from the University of Stirling in Scotland, identified the name All Hallows as derived from Celtic words meaning “the land of the dead,” with the word Hallows meaning “night” or “dark.” A third study concluded that the name All Hallows was a shortened form of All Saints.
These studies found that Halloween is a blend of two of the Celtic festivals: Imbolc and All Hallows. This would mean that even though Halloween has its roots in Halloween, it has also its roots in the Celtic calendar.
“Traditionally, Halloween was a time of great darkness because it coincided with the winter solstice and winter was the coldest and darkest season; the shortest season,” said study author and author Robert H. Griesemer, a professor of history at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.
The Celts celebrated