Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate this spook-tacular night, where the creatures of the night come out to play with us mere mortals. Halloween Eve is known for the veil dropping, and all those on the other side having free rein in our world to enjoy a little playtime for one night only.
Halloween has a spider-webbed history that is fascinating to read about, a history I would like to share with you all on this fine Hallows’ Eve.
It originated from Celtic traditions, the famous festival of Samhain, which lit the night with bonfires and was marked by people wearing costumes with figures of animal heads. The festivities marked the end of the summer, welcoming the long, dark winter months. As the Celts celebrated on All Hallow’s Eve, they even commemorated the event with animal sacrifices to their deities.
With the Roman invasion, things switched up a little bit on this dark night of festivities. The Romans brought in their own version of the event over the Celtic lands, and this led to Pope Gregory 1 deciding he wanted to introduce Christian Saints to ward off the evil spirits. This developed throughout the years under a new Pope, Boniface IV, and the day moved to 13th May which honoured the Christian martyrs. This then saw another change under Pope Gregory III, where it was moved to 1st November and became known as All Souls’ Day, a Church version of the Samhain holiday. Then what we know as Halloween was appointed onto 31st October, and All Hallows Eve was born.
Fragments of this Celtic tradition and Roman influence have bled into our modern understanding of Halloween. We dress up on Halloween in all sorts of costumes, or even draw it out for a fun Halloweekend to commemorate the festivities. The holiday is filled with people finding all sorts of charming characters to play for the night, whether it’s dressing up as a pop-icon or a character from a movie series to something rising from the dead.
This night is symbolic for letting go of old energies and welcoming in a change as well. There is a spiritual aspect of Halloween that is comforting if you let the darker months in. When we spend the night celebrating the dead and honouring them, it’s also a chance to let go of things that no longer serve us.
Ever heard of the October theory? Something pivotal usually happens during the month of October, at least according to the popular phenomenon spread across TikTok. But it’s nearing the end of the year, and big events are starting to come out of the woods that have been brewing for the last ten months or so.
Whether you are spiritual in this way or not, whether you believe the dead truly come through the veil on this haunting evening, or simply enjoy the holiday for its cosy ambiance, bucket full of chocolate and dressing up with your friends.
Regardless of what you believe, and how you celebrate, I hope you have a hauntingly special Halloween.
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