On October 31st, the Eve of All Saints' Day, we celebrate Halloween. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. But the origins of Halloween go back two thousand years to the Celts1. It developed from ancient New Year festivals and festivals of the dead.
The Origin of the Festival
The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival that marked the end of the “season of the sun” and the beginning of “the season of darkness and cold.” In the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday on November 1st was the Celtic New Year.
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter, the cooking fires in the homes would be put out2. The Celtic priests would meet in the hilltop in the dark forest. They would light new fires and offer sacrifices3 of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin.
When the morning arrived, the priests would give an ember4 from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil5 spirits.
The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade6 in clothes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.
Where does the name Halloween come from?
In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints7. This day is called All Saints' Day. It used to be also known as Hallowmas or All Hallows. Gradually, over the years, October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then Halloween as we know it today. Halloween means “the evening before All Holy Ones' Day.”
Traditional Halloween celebrations and customs in England
Jack－o－lanterns—Jack-O'-Lanterns are hollowed-out pumpkins8 with a face cut into one side. People once carved out beets9 and potatoes to use as lanterns on Halloween. Nowadays we carve out pumpkins. According to an Irish legend, jack-o-lanterns were named for10 a man named Jack, who could not enter heaven because he was a miser11. He could not enter hell either, because he had played jokes on the devil. So instead, he had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.
Fire—Fire has always played an important part in Halloween. In the old days people lit bonfires12 to keep away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck. Today, we light candles in pumpkin lanterns and then put them outside our homes to defend evil spirits.
Dressing up— On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would meet ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.
Trick or Treat—In many parts of Britain and Ireland this night used to be known as “Mischief13 Night”, which meant that people were free to go around the village playing tricks and getting up14 to any kind of mischief without fear of being punished. At night, children would knock on doors demanding a treat15 and people would disguise16 themselves as witches and ghosts, in order to obtain food and money from nervous householders.
每年十月三十一日，是“万圣节”前夕。人们在这一天过“万圣节前夕”(Halloween)这个节日。千百年来，经历了各种不同文化的诸多影响，才有了今天人们所熟知的“万圣节前夕”这一节日。不过，究其起源，则要追溯到两千年前凯尔特人的生活。这一节日起源于古凯尔特人的新年节庆活动及缅怀亡灵的仪式。
“万圣节前夕”的起源
凯尔特人的新年从每年十一月一日开始。每年此时，凯尔特人都要举行庆祝活动，它标志着“阳光季节”的结束和“黑暗及寒冷季节”的开始。公元前五世纪，凯尔特人定居的爱尔兰将每年十月三十一日法定为夏季结束的日子。十一月一日就是凯尔特新年。
十月三十一日这一天，所有庄稼都已收割完毕并储藏起来，以备即将来临的漫长冬日。然后，各家就将炉火熄灭。凯尔特祭司们聚集到山顶的黑森林里，重新燃起火种，向神灵敬献动植物等各类祭品。祭司们围绕着篝火翩翩起舞，充满阳光的季节就这样渐渐离去，黑暗的季节即将来临。
第二天黎明时分，祭司们把篝火的余烬分发给各家带回去点燃新的炉火。凯尔特人相信这些火种会给家里带来温暖，驱除鬼怪。
十一月一日这个节日被凯尔特人称为“SAMHAIN”。庆祝活动往往持续三天时间。许多人穿上动物皮毛制成的衣服参加游行。这就是最初的“万圣节前夕”节日的来历。
“万圣节前夕”名称由来
公元835年，罗马天主教会将十一月一日确定为教会的节日，用以纪念天主教圣徒，这一天被称为“万圣节”。过去人们常习惯称之为HALLOWMAS或ALL HALLOWS。随着岁月的流转，十月三十一日渐渐被称为“万圣节前夕”，其名称也渐渐演变为ALL HALLOW'S EVE， HALLOWE'EN，直至今日的HALLOWEEN。HALLOWEEN的意思是“所有圣人的节日前夕”。
传统的英格兰“万圣节前夕”节庆活动和习俗
“杰克的灯笼” 这是一种南瓜灯，将南瓜挖空，并在一面刻上脸谱做成。万圣节前夕节日里，过去人们曾将甜菜根和土豆挖空制作灯笼，现在常用的材料则是南瓜。根据一个爱尔兰传说，“杰克的灯笼”是以一个叫杰克的人命名的。由于吝啬，这个人升不进天堂，他又戏弄过鬼神，所以也入不了地狱。因此，他只好提着灯笼到处游荡，等待“最后审判日”的来临。
“灯火” 在“万圣节前夕”的节庆活动中，火一直扮演着重要的角色。过去，人们点燃篝火驱除鬼怪，有些地方，人们常用跨火的方式祈求好运。现在，人们点燃南瓜灯里的蜡烛，将灯放在屋外用以避邪。
“盛装打扮” 在万圣节前夕，据信鬼魂会回到人间。过去人们相信，如果离家外出就会遇见鬼魂。为避免被鬼魂认出，人们在天黑后离家外出时常常戴上面罩，这样鬼魂会把他们误认为其他的鬼魂。
“儿童恶作剧” 在英国和爱尔兰的许多地方，万圣节前夕曾被称“捣蛋之夜”。人们可以随便在村里游逛，搞各种恶作剧，而不必担心受到惩罚。入夜后，孩子们挨家敲门，索要糖果。人们打扮成巫师和鬼怪，目的是从受惊的住户那里得到食物和钱。
1. Celt [kelt] n． 凯尔特人（古代欧洲一部族）
2． put out 熄灭，关掉
3． sacrifice n． 祭品，献祭
4． ember n． 余烬，余火
5． evil adj． 邪恶的，坏的
6． parade v． 游行，列队行进
7． saint [seint] n． 圣人，（教会正式承认的）圣徒
8． pumpkin n． 南瓜
9． beet n． 甜菜块根
10． named for 以…名字命名
11． miser n． 吝啬鬼，守财奴
12． bonfire n． 篝火
13． mischief n． 恶作剧
14． get up 安排，组织
15． treat n． 款待，请客
16． disguise v． 假扮，伪装，假装