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From communion with the dead,
From
communion
with
the
dead
to pumpkins and pranks,
to
pumpkins
and
pranks
Halloween is a patchwork holiday.
Halloween
is
a
patchwork
holiday
Stitched together with cultural
Stitched
together
with
cultural
religious and occult traditions that
religious
and
occult
traditions
that
span centuries.
span
centuries
It all began with the Celts.
It
all
began
with
the
Celts
A people whose culture had spread across
A
people
whose
culture
had
spread
across
Europe more than 2,000 years ago.
Europe
more
than
2000
years
ago
October 31st was the day they celebrated the end
October
31st
was
the
day
they
celebrated
the
end
of the harvest season in a festival
of
the
harvest
season
in
a
festival
called Samhain.
called
Samhain
That night also marked the Celtic New
That
night
also
marked
the
Celtic
New
Year and was considered a time between years.
Year
and
was
considered
a
time
between
years
A magical time when the ghost of
A
magical
time
when
the
ghost
of
the dead walked the Earth.
the
dead
walked
the
Earth
It was the time when the veil between death and
It
was
the
time
when
the
veil
between
death
and
life was supposed to be at its thinnest.
life
was
supposed
to
be
at
its
thinnest
On Samhain the villagers gathered
On
Samhain
the
villagers
gathered
and lit huge bonfires to drive the dead
and
lit
huge
bonfires
to
drive
the
dead
back to the spirit world and keep them
back
to
the
spirit
world
and
keep
them
away from the living.
away
from
the
living
But as the Catholic Church's
But
as
the
Catholic
Church's
influence grew in Europe it frowned on
influence
grew
in
Europe
it
frowned
on
the Pagan rituals like Samhain.
the
Pagan
rituals
like
Samhain
In the 7th Century the Vatican began
In
the
7th
Century
the
Vatican
began
to merge it with a church sanctioned holiday.
to
merge
it
with
a
church
sanctioned
holiday
So November 1st was designated
So
November
1st
was
designated
All Saints Day to honor martyrs and the
All
Saints
Day
to
honor
martyrs
and
the
deceased faithful.
deceased
faithful
Both of these holidays had to
Both
of
these
holidays
had
to
do with the afterlife
do
with
the
afterlife
and about survival after death. It... it was
and
about
survival
after
death
It
it
was
a calculated move on the part of the
a
calculated
move
on
the
part
of
the
church to bring more people into the fold.
church
to
bring
more
people
into
the
fold
All Saints Day was known then as
All
Saints
Day
was
known
then
as
hallow mass. Hallow means holy or saintly so
hallow
mass
Hallow
means
holy
or
saintly
so
the translation is roughly, mass of the saints.
the
translation
is
roughly
mass
of
the
saints
The night before October 31st was
The
night
before
October
31st
was
all Hallow's Eve which gradually morphed
all
Hallow's
Eve
which
gradually
morphed
into Halloween.
into
Halloween
The holiday came to America with the
The
holiday
came
to
America
with
the
wave of Irish immigrants during the
wave
of
Irish
immigrants
during
the
Potato Famine of the 1840s.
Potato
Famine
of
the
1840s
They brought several of their
They
brought
several
of
their
holiday customs with them including
holiday
customs
with
them
including
bobbing for apples and playing tricks on
bobbing
for
apples
and
playing
tricks
on
neighbours like removing gates from the
neighbours
like
removing
gates
from
the
front of houses.
front
of
houses
The young pranksters wore masks
The
young
pranksters
wore
masks
so they wouldn't be recognized but over
so
they
wouldn't
be
recognized
but
over
the years the tradition of harmless
the
years
the
tradition
of
harmless
tricks grew into outright vandalism.
tricks
grew
into
outright
vandalism
Back in the 1930s it really became a
Back
in
the
1930s
it
really
became
a
dangerous holiday I mean there was um
dangerous
holiday
I
mean
there
was
um
such uh hooliganism and vandalism.
such
uh
hooliganism
and
vandalism
Trick-or-treating was
Trick-or-treating
was
originally a extortion deal.
originally
a
extortion
deal
Give us candy or we'll uh trash your house.
Give
us
candy
or
we'll
uh
trash
your
house
Storekeepers and neighbours began giving
Storekeepers
and
neighbours
began
giving
treats or bribes to stop the tricks and
treats
or
bribes
to
stop
the
tricks
and
children were encouraged to travel door
children
were
encouraged
to
travel
door
too for treats as an alternative to troublemaking.
too
for
treats
as
an
alternative
to
troublemaking
By the late 30s trick or
By
the
late
30s
trick
or
treat became the holiday greeting.
treat
became
the
holiday
greeting
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