Halloween, All Saints or Samhain?

Short history of the festival with the leastest clear name of all

The origin of Halloween does not lie in the United States, even though it is the second most commercial holiday on the continent after Christmas (6.9 billion spent!) but it has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture of Ireland, when this green land was dominated by the Celts.

The term "Halloween" has Celtic origins, being a transformation of "Samhain," which marked the Celtic New Year. This tradition was brought to the United States by Irish emigrants seeking refuge from the famine of the 19th century. Let's now take a detailed look at this journey that will take us from the Celtic origins of Halloween to the present day.

The name "Halloween" is a contraction of "All Hallows' Eve". “Hallows” is an archaic English word meaning “Saints.” November 1st, in fact, is known as "All Hallows' Day".

The emphasis on Eve is a feature of Celtic cosmology, which has left its mark on the English language, with the use of the term "Eve" in various holidays such as "New Year's Eve" or "Christmas Eve."

The Celts, mainly shepherds, had a calendar linked to livestock. The Celts, mainly shepherds, had a calendar linked to livestock. Their new year did not begin on January 1st, but on November 1st, marking the end of summer and the beginning of the winter season. 

This period marked an important transition, characterized by celebrations known as "Samhain": these were intended to thank the gods for the harvests, preparing for winter.

Samhain was a passing ritual that connected the world of the living with that of the spirits and allowed deceased spirits to wander the Earth. This celebration combined the fear of death with the joy of celebrating the new year.

With the advent of Christianity and the spread of the Christian faith in the British Isles, the Church tried to supplant ancient Celtic practices. However, some traditions survived and were somehow integrated with the new Christian holidays. The Church Christianized Samhain, creating the festival of All Saints on November 1st and the commemoration of the dead, on November 2nd.

In the mid-19th century, due to a terrible famine, many Irish emigrated to the United States, bringing Halloween traditions with them. In America, this holiday quickly spread among different communities and became almost a national holiday: here however, Halloween lost its religious and ritual connotations transforming itself into an occasion for fun with parties and costumes. Americans spend huge amounts on costumes, decorations and celebrations every year.

Halloween then influenced popular culture, thanks to cinema and television, bringing traditions such as pumpkin lanterns and trick-or-treating around the world. This last practice is one of the most "mysterious" of all the rituals of the holiday: it could be connected to the Celtic roots of Halloween, when during the night of Samhain, people left food as a tribute to the dead to avoid spite on their part, as well as fairies and elves.

Other theories suggest that the trick-or-treating tradition may date back to the medieval period, when beggars knocked on doors asking for food in exchange for prayers for the souls of the deceased. And what did they threaten if they didn't get anything? Of course, bad luck and misfortune!

The festival has turned into an opportunity to celebrate, have fun and, of course, be scared, without forgetting the Celtic and historical roots that underlie it 

Us of Edilfar Rent are not playing tricks on you: on the contrary, only treats for those who sign up for our 6-day promo by 31 October 2023.

Come and discover more in our offices!