31 Days of Halloween...Day 1, Origins: Gaelic, Christian, and North American Influences
Manage episode 407408384 series 3559858
Introducing an Unpopped Colonels special series: 31 Days of Halloween. Is it a holiday, a celebration, or a festival? Some folks love it, others can't be bothered. But one thing is certain...Halloween is a beloved celebration not only in the United States, but globally.
This is Day 1 (Episode 1) of the 31 Days of Halloween. In this episode, Christopher dealves into early Gaelic, Christian, and colonial North American influences to what has become the modern American Halloween experience. Dating back 2000 years, early Gaelics celebrated Samhain, which celebrated the end of the harvest season, generally at the end of October. After the Romans conquered Celtic lands around CE 43, Christian leaders, including the Pope, attempted to redefine Samhain but to no avail, except creating two new holidays All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd), leaving Samhain to be celebrated on October 31st, renamed All Hallows Eve. As colonial North America received Celtic immigrants, the holidays and celebrations went with them.
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