Halloween's origins is dated to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the land now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. They celebrated their new year on November 1. The importance of Oct. 31 giving the new year day after midnight to Nov. 1 was grounds for a big celebration. It marked the end of summer,harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. In those days winter was not very popular nor welcome for it often associated with human death.
The Celts believed that on Oct. 31 the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead was bridge the spirits of the dead returned to earth. They caused trouble and damaged crops. Celts believe the presence of other worldly spirits made it possible for the Druids (Celtic priests), to make predictions about future events. these people who depended on the natural world weather worried about their future and needed to have positive prophecies told by their chosen Druids.
On that day the Druid (Celtic priest) commemorated the event by building a huge sacred bonfires. The people gathered and burned crops and did animals sacrifices to the Celtic deities or pagan gods.
Celts wore costumes consisting of animal heads and skins, and told each others fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
Celtic territory was conquered by the Romans on the year 43 A.D. and ruled for four hundred years. Two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The two holidays in October were first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead. They also honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Pomona's symbol was the apple. That is were the tradition of "bobbing" for apples originated from after the mixing of these two pagans holidays.
In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs that was a church-sanctioned holiday. This celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse which meant All Saints' Day. Later on it the name changed into Halloween.
In A.D. 1000, the church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes of saints, angels, and devils. Now all these tree pagan holidays got the name Hallowmas.
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Notes: God strictly forbids any kind of pagan related celebrations that will honor the dead, or spirits of any kind, and animal sacrifices to any false Gods, fortune telling and false prophecies of the futuret is an abomination to God to do such things and judgment will be rendered.
 
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