Halloween - Its Historical Background by Bendis

To understand the original meaning of Halloween, one simply needs to look at the time of year in which this holiday falls and go back many, many years in history. 

The time is autumn.  The last harvest has been gathered.  The trees are beginning to lose their leaves and the air is crisp, portending of what is to come - winter.  There is no central heat.  Homes are primitive and clothes are not what they are now.  All food that will be consumed in the coming months must be stored, for there will be no fresh food until well into spring.  Herbs are harvested, dried and stored so that should sickness come there might be hope of survival.  You must preserve enough.  Your very life depends on it!

All the animals are brought in from the fields.  There is not enough food to keep them all through the coming winter, so only the breeding stock is kept alive.  The rest are slaughtered and preserved for food.

It is a busy time and a very frightening one as well.  No one knows who will survive.  Many will die from cold, sickness and lack of food.  Winter means death.

To those people of long ago, who were polytheistic, it seemed that the Divine Mother had gone away, for she represented growth and abundance and these were no longer evident.  Her Consort seemed to be present only in the seed from the crops.  In their preparation for this time of darkness, it was very important that any assistance available be called upon.  Therefore, it was commonly believed that, out of need, the spirits of those who had gone before were more readily available to call upon for help, protection, advice and counsel.  Hence - ghosts and goblins!  Later, when this time of year was no longer as threatening, the traditions of the Jack-O-Lantern and dressing up were begun as a way to scare off those very same spirits.

It was also a well-understood fact that every death was also a birth.  Along with preparation for the hard times, they also looked forward and rejoiced at the coming birth of Spring and the return of their Mother.  They celebrated this, their last harvest, and stored carefully.   They sorted the seed and chose the finest to be saved to insure an abundant crop the following year.

The old name for Halloween, as celebrated in Celtic lands, was Samhain, pronounced Sow - in.  After the arrival of Christianity the name changed to Hallowmas and later to All Hallows Eve, a time to honor the dead.  Many Christian churches today celebrate All Saints Day.  The day is honored by the Hispanic people as the Days of the Dead.   My family uses this time of year to honor those of our family who are no longer with us. A good group activity is to plan a trip to a cemetery that has been neglected and do some sprucing up.  There are many departed souls who no longer have family to take on this loving act.

Have a wonderful Samhain and celebrate that we no longer must fear winter.  Celebrate for life is good!

Bendis