Fact a Day: October 2nd

The Facts on Halloween (Harvest House, 1996), p. 6

What is the origin of Halloween?

The Celts and their Druid priests began their New Year on November 1, which marked the beginning of Winter. They apparently believed that on October 31, the night before their New Year and the last day of the old year, the Lord of Death gathered the souls of the evil dead who had been condemned to enter the bodies of animals. He then decided what animal form they would take for the next year. (The souls of the good dead were reincarnated as humans.) The Druids also believed that the punishment of the evil dead could be lightened by sacrifices, prayers and gifts to the Lord of Death.

Druid worshipers attempted to placate and appease the Lord of Death because of his power over the souls of the dead, whether these souls were good or evil. For those who had died during the proceeding 12 months, Samhain allowed their spirits to return to earth to their former places of habitation for a few hours to associate once again with their families.*

Thus, the Celts believed that on their New Year’s Eve (our Halloween) ghosts, evil spirits and, some say, witches roamed about.

*For full documentation, please see The Facts on Halloween.