Taken together with All Souls’ Day, which falls on November, it is a time assigned in the Christian calendar for honoring the saints and the newly departed. Oct 30, 2018 · Dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating are popular Halloween activities, but few probably associate these lighthearted fall traditions with their origins in Samhain, a three-day ancient Oct 1, 2024 · The History of SamhainSamhain, the pagan holiday that predates Halloween, comes from the Gaelic word for summer’s end. They would also adopt some of the inoffensive customs from those pagan holidays and incorporate them into the corresponding Christian holiday. The earliest record of a seasonal celebration in Scandinavia is given by the 6th century historian Procopius of Caesaria who writes of the Heruli who lived in "Thule" (likely around modern day Norway). From Wiccan Sabbats on the Wheel of the Year to Norse, Greek, and Egyptian festivals. The cycle of temperature (shown in pink) is delayed by seasonal lag. They celebrated their New Year on November 1 Oct 27, 2020 · Halloween may be a secular affair today, dominated by candy, costumes and trick-or-treating, but the holiday is rooted in an annual Celtic pagan festival called Samhain (pronounced "SAH-wane Apr 27, 2019 · Halloween Traditions Even if you're celebrating Samhain as a Pagan holiday, you may want to read up on some of the traditions of the secular celebration of Halloween. With roots in Europe’s Christianization, Halloween is something of a hybrid holiday strongly influenced by ancient pagan beliefs, and for this reason, its celebration has long been somewhat controversial within the Christian faith. The celebration of Halloween today Yes. Why do we celebrate Halloween? According to Britannica, Halloween can be traced to the ancient festival of Samhain. Listen to episode 49 of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast for more on the history of Samhain With roots in Europe’s Christianization, Halloween is something of a hybrid holiday strongly influenced by ancient pagan beliefs, and for this reason, its celebration has long been somewhat controversial within the Christian faith. Also known as the birth of Halloween, it It's October so let's get ready to debunk the "Halloween is a Pagan Holiday" claim Every year we have to deal with this so let's get ready and share some resources to debunk this claim. [1] It is also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November. While today's traditions seem harmless, many Christians wonder if Halloween is evil. Oct 22, 2020 · Halloween is one of the oldest holidays in the world. In 2025, Halloween falls on Friday, October 31. In the present day, Halloween is celebrated by children dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating, and eating candy. For more articles about the history and traditions of Halloween, check our dedicated Halloween hub. Jul 25, 2022 · Halloween today isn't really a pagan holiday, although its roots stem from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. After all, this is the season of black cats, jack o'lanterns, and trick or treating! Oct 19, 2011 · It is also celebrated by non-Pagans who call this festival Halloween. The Celts were a group of people from multiple tribes with origins in central Europe who shared a similar language, religion, tradition, and culture. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October Sep 16, 2025 · Is Halloween a Pagan Holiday? Because Halloween is at the same time of year as Samhain, pronounced saah-win, many people have argued that Halloween has its roots in the pagan holiday. Practitioners of Wicca, the largest modern Pagan religion, continue to celebrate Samhain; many Wiccans identify as witches. Some of the Celtic pagan traditions were kept or merged as a way of easing the conversion process. It’s typically celebrated from October 31 to November 1 to mark the harvest and May 26, 2024 · Modern Paganism and the Revival of Samhain While Halloween has largely become a secular and commercial holiday, there are still those who celebrate it as a religious observance. Pagan Holy Days *These dates mark the astronomical beginnings of the seasons and occasionally vary by a day or so from year to year. [15][16][17][18] Some theories go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallows' Day, along with its eve, by the Church. 6 days ago · The holiday was largely banned in the American colonies, because it was seen as a Pagan, anti-Christian holiday; some contemporary Christian groups and parents ban the holiday for the same reason. " Oct 17, 2024 · Joe Heschmeyer examines the supposed pagan origins of Halloween or "All Hallows Eve" and answers the question: Should Christians boycott Halloween? Holidays Is Halloween a pagan holiday? How its true history may surprise you In the twentieth century, the claim that Halloween is thoroughly pagan, originating at the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (“sow-en”), has become widely spread and frequently parroted. In many Oct 30, 2025 · All these pagan holidays you was born into it is time to stop being conformed by the world you call yourself a Christian, you celebrate Halloween, then The exact timing of the pre-Christian Yule celebrations is unclear and debated among scholars. He describes how the sun is not seen there for 40 nights in winter and that their greatest festival Jul 22, 2018 · The Pagan holidays are, simply put, eight celebrations of the changing of seasons, whether long or short. The holiday began as Samhain, a pagan festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. The spooky day associated with trick-or-treating and costumes originates from Samhain, a three-day ancient Celtic pagan festival. Learn more about the roots of Halloween here. Apr 6, 2018 · Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “sow-win”) is a pagan festival rooted in ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. Oct 28, 2025 · The spooky origins of our modern Halloween rituals The pagan festival of Samhain has been celebrated for at least 2,000 years Pamela O'Neill The Conversation Tuesday 28 October 2025 10:17 GMT Comments Jul 25, 2022 · Halloween today isn't really a pagan holiday, although its roots stem from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. Oct 31, 2025 · Halloween traces its origins back to the Iron Age and a feast of fire known as Samhain. [19][1][20] Other Oct 17, 2025 · Halloween’s pagan origins in Samhain shine through every time someone carves a pumpkin, lights a bonfire, trick-or-treats, or pulls a prank on that late October day. You may also see these dates referred to as the “Wheel of the Year”. Oct 31, 2024 · Here is the history behind the holiday and how it came to be. Samhain (/ ˈsɑːwɪn / SAH-win, / ˈsaʊɪn / SOW-in; Irish: [ˈsˠəunʲ]; Scottish Gaelic: [ˈs̪ãũ. Samhain has been celebrated in Britain for centuries and has its origin in Pagan Celtic traditions. Sep 30, 2025 · Discover the origins of Halloween with over 2,000 years of history, including its pagan roots, Christian influences, and modern ways to celebrate. 6 days ago · Discover the pagan origins of Halloween, from ancient Samhain rituals to modern traditions and how this spooky holiday evolved over years. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. ɪɲ]) or Sauin (Manx: [ˈsoːɪnʲ]) is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season in autumn and beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. This Christian influence began to intertwine with existing Pagan customs. " Dec 31, 2025 · Halloween is a holiday observed annually on October 31 and noted for its pagan origins and its Christian roots as well as its secular traditions. Nov 1, 2025 · Halloween is a very popular holiday across the world. Examining the Pagan Origins of Halloween: While Halloween has Pagan origins, it is important to note that the modern celebration has evolved and incorporated elements from different cultures and traditions over time. Which is exactly what the holiday honors. Halloween is, quite literally, the popular derivative of All Hallow Even, or the eve of All Saints’ Day (r November). . … Abstract Halloween is commonly thought to have pagan origins, even though its etymology is Christian. [41] [43] [44] Oct 30, 2018 · Dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating are popular Halloween activities, but few probably associate these lighthearted fall traditions with their origins in Samhain, a three-day ancient Did Christian traditions really come from pagan holidays? In this clip from our Counterpoint conversation, one guest explains the pagan origins of Christmas, Easter, and Halloween and how Christianity rebranded ancient traditions. Sep 27, 2025 · The Origins of Halloween (Samhain) The First Halloween (Samhain) The origins of Halloween take us all the way back to the Celts over 2,000 years ago. The most prevalent traditions come from the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain, combined with aspects of two Roman festivals, the harvest festival of Lemuria and the exorcism festival of Feralia. Oct 1, 2024 · The History of SamhainSamhain, the pagan holiday that predates Halloween, comes from the Gaelic word for summer’s end. 1890 is the year everyone decided Halloween was a pagan holiday. In much of Europe and most of North America, observance of Halloween is today largely nonreligious, celebrated with parties, spooky costumes, pumpkin carvings called jack-o’-lanterns, and trick or In conjunction with All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, Samhain had an influence on the modern holiday of Halloween, and it is also celebrated as an important holiday in modern Paganism. The witch’s new year is upon us! Samhain, the ancient Gaelic festival that marks the end of the Celtic year, occurs from October 31 to the November 1. Learn all about 7 Pagan festivals we still celebrate today with Through Eternity Travel's resident historian. Samhain is a Gaelic or Celtic festival that translates to “summer’s end” and marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker (winter) time of year. Is Halloween Really a Pagan Holiday? 1. Aug 4, 2015 · Modern Halloween celebrations are actually based on three pagan holidays. Oct 12, 2025 · Halloween’s history is layered—a fusion of pagan spirituality, Christian adaptation, and cultural transformation that reflects humanity’s enduring fascination with life, death, and the supernatural. Oct 17, 2025 · Halloween’s pagan origins in Samhain shine through every time someone carves a pumpkin, lights a bonfire, trick-or-treats, or pulls a prank on that late October day. In past Despite its pagan origins, Halloween has become a popular holiday celebrated in many parts of the world today. Oct 30, 2025 · A concise and academically grounded book that critically examines the assumption of Halloween’s “pagan” origins and outlines how the holiday was reshaped through Christian influence and cultural adaptation. Aug 24, 2023 · Karachun is a pagan holiday that is celebrated in honor of the black god Chernoborg. Embrace the spiritual depths of this ancient celebration that gave birth to modern-day Halloween. The eight-armed sun cross is often used to represent the modern pagan Wheel of the Year. Most Christian holidays take their dates from preexisting pagan holidays so that Christianity might seem more familiar and welcoming to those pagans they were trying to convert. Oct 19, 2024 · A pagan Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, Samhain also involves celebrations honoring the dead. Modern pagan groups, such as Wiccans and Druids, have sought to revive and preserve the ancient Celtic traditions associated with Samhain. Very similar to Samhain and Halloween, this was the day when all Slavic gods associated with darkness and decay were most potent. The annual cycle of insolation for the northern hemisphere (Sun energy, shown in blue) with key points for seasons (middle), quarter days (top) and cross-quarter days (bottom) along with months (lower) and Zodiac houses (upper). Oct 25, 2021 · Over many centuries, the three holidays—All Saints’ Day, All Souls' Day and Samhain—essentially merged into one: Halloween. Oct 19, 2011 · It is also celebrated by non-Pagans who call this festival Halloween. Discover its history and ways to celebrate on October 31. Nov 18, 2009 · Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. Dec 7, 2025 · Samhain is an ancient Celtic holiday and a pagan sabbat on the Wheel of the Year that honors . Listen to episode 49 of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast for more on the history of Samhain One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots. It is a time for fun and creativity, for dressing up and for gathering with friends and family. Oct 31, 2024 · From outrageous costumes to trick or treat: the unexpected ancient roots of Halloween's most popular – and most esoteric – traditions. The night before became All Hallows’ Eve, later shortened to Halloween. Oct 27, 2025 · Here’s a number for you today: 1890. #Christianity #Pagan #Debate #Religion #Counterpoint Featuring @emma_b_5587 _melanniealex Oct 22, 2020 · Halloween is one of the oldest holidays in the world. 4 days ago · Halloween is known for costumes, candy, and spooky fun, but its origins are rooted in ancient Celtic rituals. Sep 12, 2023 · Discover the pagan origins rituals and traditions of Samhain. People believed that on Samhain, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, and spirits roamed the earth. It’s many things, including a harvest festival that honors the changing of the seasons. The Thousand-Year History of Halloween Learn about Halloween's connection to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Dec 7, 2025 · Discover the origin of Halloween traditions and learn how the spooky holiday evolved from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. However, the white god or the sun god is resurrected the next day and triumphs again. Oct 26, 2021 · Yet, the Halloween holiday has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced "SAH-win"), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Oct 31, 2022 · Halloween's ancient pagan origin was believed to have been "fraught with danger, charged with fear and full of supernatural episodes. Halloween comes from All Hallow’s Eve, a church tradition established in the 8th century by Pope Gregory III. Samhain occurs on October 31st into November 1st. Dec 7, 2025 · Discover the pagan holidays and their meanings. Also included are the historical origins of trick or treating, Halloween costumes and jack o’ lanterns.

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