Halloween has very ancient origins: it originated in Ireland and corresponds to Samhain, the Celtic New Year.
The Celts were a people of shepherds and their rhythms were marked by herding. For them, therefore, the New Year began on 1 November, with the return of the flocks to the valley to prepare for the start of the winter season. Death was the main theme of the festival, reflecting what was happening in nature: life is silent during the winter season, but it is actually renewing itself underground, the traditional resting place of the dead. Hence the association between Samhain and the cult of the dead.
With Christianity, this has evolved into All Saints’ Day, 1 November, and All Souls’ Day, 2 November. From Ireland, the tradition was then exported to the United States by emigrants, who, driven by the terrible famine of the 1800s, headed in large numbers to the new land. Here it spread among the American population, eventually becoming the holiday we know today.
Happy Halloween!
