"It has long been written that Halloween grew from the 'Celtic Festival of the Dead' but there is scant evidence for this idea. Halloween is in reality the result of a Christian Festival of the Dead.

History has tended to give us two conflicting explanations of the origins of the Christian festival of All Hallow's Eve. Either the Catholic Church saw the pagan feis of Samain as a direct threat which had to be eradicated and decided to replace it with a Holy festival or alternatively the dedication of the festival of All the Saints on November 1st was purely coincidental. The truth may, in fact, be altogether more interesting and unexpected...

...If Christianity had not chosen November 1st for its festival of All Saints - would any remnant of Samain survive ? Did they unwittingly bring the spirits of the dead to Hallowe'en and give the rites and customs of the end of summer a new life ?"

Extract from Halloween-Pagan Festival to Trick or Treat (c) Mark Oxbrow 2001 Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. http://www.thehalloweenbook.com

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