Of some of the western festivals and days that have become of significance in India, Halloween is one of them! One of the major contributors to the hype around Halloween is the movies and shows. Carving out pumpkins, dressing up as ghosts or popular scary characters and going around tricking or treating have now become the focal point of this day. But have you ever taken out the time to understand why Halloween is celebrated? What could possibly be the reason behind celebrating ghosts, evil and death? Ya fir, have you, too, just jumped on the bandwagon of celebrating this day just because people are doing so? If that is the case, read through this quick explainer of why Halloween is celebrated because knowledge is power, people!
Halloween is a festival that is celebrated each year on October 31. Observed mostly in the west, it is celebrated to honour all the saints of the church on the eve of the Feast of All Saints. The origins of this holiday can be traced back to the old Celtic festival that is called Samhain. It is said that on this day, the spirits of the dead people want to go back to their homes and therefore, people wear scary costumes to ward them off.
Samhain is also said to mark the end of the summer harvest and the start of the winter season. The Celts, therefore, built large bonfires and prayed to their Gods to protect them from the harsh winters and the evil spirits as well.
Pope Boniface IV first began the tradition of observing All Saints Day on May 13 in the 7th Century CE. But Pope Gregory III decided to move the holiday to November 1 as a Christian holiday to mark the festival of Samhain. And therefore, the day before this holiday came to be marked as Hallow’s Eve or popularly known as Halloween.
Also read: 6 Of The Most Wicked Halloween Traditions From Around The Globe. Let’s Get Spooky!
Halloween was traditionally celebrated in Ireland, France and the United Kingdom but soon it spread to other parts of the world. Come to see it, it is similar to the Shraadhs observed by Hindus. The reason why Shraadhs are observed is different, of course, but the point remains to commemorate and remember the deceased. It is important to understand the origin of these events and the reason behind why they are observed.