The paranormal aura and mystique surrounding Halloween
connects to a series of beliefs, traditions and superstitions. What is the
actual origin of Halloween? It appears
to date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. By Celts we refer to the people who lived
approximately 2,000 years ago in
Celts believed that on the night
before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead
became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, believing
that ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and
damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits
made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the
future. The Druids built huge sacred
bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to
the Celtic deities.
During these celebrations, Celts wore costumes, typically
consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes.
When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they put
out earlier that evening. This symbolic lighting was done from the sacred
bonfire to serve as a protection during the coming winter.
By 43 A.D., the Romans had conquered a majority of Celtic
territory. During the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the
Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional
Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October
when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second
was a day to honor Pomona Pomona
By the 800’s, the influence of Christianity had spread into
Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as
All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. The pope was attempting to
replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned
holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (All
Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called
All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in 1000 A.D., the
church designated November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was
celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in
costumes as saints, angels, and devils.
Tales of the supernatural are ever
popular during the Halloween season. Right now, publisher Clean Reads
is
offering THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, a paranormal novel,
for just
99
cents
through Halloween, October 31st, on Amazon Kindle.
You can check it out here:
Also available, DARK MOON RISING,
Gothic romantic suspense from Luminosity, available in All e-book formats and
print.
Are there any books that you would
like to recommend as good Halloween reading choices?
