Halloween & Its Celtic Roots

Series Summary

Meals prepared for dead relatives. Spirits reincarnated as black cats. Futures determined by stones in a bonfire or thimbles in a dish of cabbage. Many strange traditions have contributed to the rich heritage of Halloween, and in this series of fun and spooky educational videos, our All Hallows Eve expert shares some of the most interesting. Beginning with roots in the Celtic harvest celebration of Samhain, Ginny Lason takes you on a tour though the ages, from Druid bonfires to Roman festivals to Christian attempts to put a damper on pagan fun and frolic.

Learn about soul cakes, colcannon and other foods and feasts that mutated into current Halloween traditions. Ever wondered about the origin of the jack-o-lantern? The story started with a turnip, not a pumpkin, and involves the sad tale of a man named Jack who tricked the devil, but turned out to be a bit too clever for his own good. In addition to history and legend, our expert also discusses contemporary variations of this favorite holiday, such as Snap Apple Night in England and The Day of the Dead in Central and Latin America.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Ginny on behalf of Expert Village and I would like to tell you a story. Come, travel back in time with me as we explore the brief history of Halloween. The history of Halloween goes back about 2500 years to 500 B.C. and the ancient Celts who lived in the area we now know of as Western Europe. We owe most of our modern day Halloween practices to the religious beliefs and traditions of these ancient people. The ancient Celts were people who worshiped beauty and nature. They had many gods but their two main gods were the objects of ceremony and worship that shaped the basis of their culture and beliefs. The Celts believed in a sun god without whom they could not live and Samhain, the lord of death, darkness and the cold dark winter. At the beginning of summer they had the feast of Beltran and at the end of summer the feast of Samhain. The Celts believed that Samhain called back the spirits of the dead on the night between summer and winter when the veil between the worlds living and the dead were the thinnest and the spirits could pass between them. Stay tuned for chapter two."