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September 30, 2002 Volume 27, Issue 9 |
Searching for the perfect costume and yelling "Trick or Treat!" at neighborhood doors may elicit fond childhood memories of Halloween, but these images are vastly different from the original observance.
Like many, Robert E. Wolverton Sr. of Mississippi State University became interested in Halloween as a child. "As I grew older, I learned about Halloween through my study of Christianity," the classics professor adds. "Though many today consider it an 'evil' holiday, it originally was a blending of Celtic and Christian traditions, made into a holy day to honor those who had been Christians."
Wolverton says the ancient Celts of Great Britain celebrated their New Year each Nov. 1. That made Oct. 31 their New Year's Eve-a time when dead family members returned to visit.
"Family adults would dress as their departed relatives, a custom that is similar to the present-day tradition of costumes," Wolverton explains. "They did this to honor their ancestors and teach their children about those who came before them."
The Celts also believed that visits of the deceased would ensure health and fertility. "When the living family members dressed as their ancestors, they carried a potato or turnip with a candle in it to light their way. Our jack-o-lantern tradition evolved from that," Wolverton says.
In 597 A.D., Pope Gregory I sent missionaries to "re-Christianize" Great Britain. He changed Nov. 1 to All Saints Day and the day before to All Hallow's Even. Nov. 2 was designated All Souls Day.
"Hallow," another word for saints, and "Even" were combined over the years to become "Halloween."
"The Christian church had a very sneaky way to get their ideas infused into certain cultures," Wolverton observed, with a smile. "They changed what they considered a pagan holiday into a day to honor those who had reached sainthood and those who were good Christian examples for others. It has come a long way from the original concept."