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Genealogy and the Origins of Halloween
Genealogy is all about researching your ancestors and how they lived. Halloween is based on traditions involving the ghosts of ancestors. Celebrate Halloween the Genealogy Way!
Back in the days of the Celts, the year did not begin in the middle of the winter!! Instead it began, logically, after the harvest had been brought in and the year's work was "over". October 31st was the last day of the year, and that night was called "Samhain".
The Celts believed that the ghosts of their ancestors would want to live again in the "real world", and that on this special night that the ghosts would try to find a body to take over. They therefore dressed up and danced around to scare off those ghosts. They would hollow out turnips and light candles in them for the festivities.
The Romans had other festival celebrations at this same time of year, most that celebrated Pomona, who was the goddess of orchards. Many apple-related traditions were done in her honor, including bobbing for apples.
Christians had a habit of taking over pagan rituals and "making them religious". Therefore All Saint's Day was set for November 1st, making the previous night "All Hallow's Evening". This was shortened to Halloween over time. The Christians then made November 2nd "All Soul's Day" and spent the day going door to door asking for "soul cakes". These were made with currants and were square. The door-to-door people would promise to say prayers for the family's ancestors for each square of bread they got. Christians at the time felt that a soul went to "limbo" when it died and was in essence stuck there until enough prayers were said to help it along to Heaven.
This begging for food soon became a treat for children, instead of a way to help with a large prayer chain. And the rest is history!
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Note - Lisa Shea wrote this content for the genealogy site at BellaOnline.com - you might still find this content there as well. That's fine :) I gave permission!
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