With all of the excitement of the holiday season and the new traditions that have made their way into modern culture, it can be difficult to remember the origin of these holidays and the importance of the original traditions. All too often, Halloween is associated with costumes and candy but, in its early days, the significance of Halloween held great importance throughout Scotland, Ireland and Britain. Sadly, over time, these traditions have been forgotten.
Halloween actually started out as Samhain, a ceremony celebrated among Celts and their ancestors. It also marked the end of the winter solstice as well as a prosperous harvest. According to the tradition, this was the one night a year when spirits were free to walk the earth. Origin suggests that the Celtic families would hide in their homes in fear of these spirits or coming into contact with them.
Many symbols that are used today, such as the jack-o-lantern, originated from this ceremony. The jack-o-lanterns originated from an Irish folktale, Stingy Jack, a greedy alcoholic who tricked the devil into climbing a tree and then trapped him by carving a simple cross into the trunk. The devil cursed Jack and he was forced to walk the earth for all eternity.
The ceremony of Samhain, was followed by All Hallows Eve, celebrated on November first. The souls would once again be banished and no longer free to roam the earth. Although many of the traditions have been lost over time, the origins of Halloween and the beliefs which were practiced at this time help modern celebrations with their own symbols.
The actual origins of Halloween and the meaning of symbols that characterized this day have been forgotten, even by historians. The true meaning of the celebration has been replaced somewhat by what Hollywood thinks it should mean. However, in modern Celtic Ireland, Samhain is still celebrated as the serious holiday it is and as a time to pray for relatives' safe entry into heaven.
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