# Halloween

Read the text and do the exercise below.

| Halloween, Samhain, El Día de Los Muertos, All Saints' Eve, call it what you like, it's still the last day of October and always a good excuse for a party - but why?

Samhain (pronounced 'sow-in') was the end of the Celtic year, and like all good new-years-eves a good excuse for a party and get-together. However this was more than just a good time together. It was of major importance to the Celts. Samhain marked the end of summer and the start of the cold, dark winter and was a day when the druidic priests of the Celts believed that the dead could come back to the earth and cause trouble for the living. To counter this, the druids built large, sacred bonfires to chase away the dead and for the people to sacrifice possessions and food to the Celtic gods. It was also believed that if you lit a new fire in your house, from the embers of the sacred bonfire, that no evil could enter your house, whilst the fire stayed lit. Roman additions When the Romans invaded the British Isles they added their own customs and traditions to those of the Celts. Two of the most notable were the celebration of Feralia - the Roman comemoration of the dead - and the day of honour for Pomona, goddess of fruit and trees. | Feralia was held on a day in late October or early November, so tied in with the existing Samhain festivities and beliefs, whilst Pomona celebrated the harvest with her fruit - the apple. A possible reason for 'bobbing for apples'. Church connection As Christianity took hold of the Celtic world, the church took many of the existing pagan festivals and re-invented them as Christian holidays and celebrations. In the 7th Century, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary on 13 May.This holiday was then changed to 1 November by Pope Gregory III and the Pantheon rededicated to the honour of 'All Saints in the Vatican Basilica', as an attempt to remove the Samhain festivals from the Celtic calender. Later, in the 11th Century, 2 November was made 'All Souls' Day' - a day of honouring the dead - This was celebrated in the same manner as Samhain, with bonfires, parades, costumes and feasts. The whole celebration now lasted three days, from 31 October to 2 November and was known as Hallowmas.

Taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/features/halloween/history.shtml

### America picks up the pace It's in America that Halloween has really taken off. Irish immigrants to the United States raised the popularity of Halloween during the 19th century. During the 20th century it became more and more popular, with traditions like pumpkin carving and trick or treating becoming part of TV shows, books and movies. Taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/15169373 | ###

## Actividad

In groups answer the following questions in your own words:

1. Which word did the Celts use for this celebration?

2. What did the druidic priests think it would happen at the end of summer?

3. What could be done at home to counter this?

4. What were Feralia and Pomona? Who created them?

5. Who tried to remove this pagan festival? Why?

6. Where has Halloween become more popular nowadays?

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