Ancient Origins of Halloween
The Celts believes that on the night before the New Year, October 31, the
boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of
October 31, they celebrated Samhain (a Celtic festival) when it was believed that the ghosts
of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts
though that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids or Celtic
priests, to make predictions about the future. During the celebration, the Celts wore
costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s
fortunes.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of
the four hundred years that they rules 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, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is
the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition
of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.