The Real History of Halloween

We're celebrating this years Halloween by talking about... Halloween. Join me as we explore the history and development of this fascinating holiday, from ancient Celtic roots, to Catholic celebrations and modern pop culture.
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Music by:
Jay Varton
Spectacles Wallet and Watch
Farell Wooten
Sources/Recomended Reading:
Morton, Lisa (2019). "Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween". Reaktion Books.
Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night". Oxford University Press USA.
#halloween #spookyseason #history

[@MrsSheffield]

As someone born in India, I had no idea about Halloween until moving to North America at age 7. I have to admit, it’s the most fun time to decorate the porch.

[@pansrn]

Bravo. That was informative and fun. Your closing, wishing everyone the best in whichever way they are going about their Tuesday, was very sweet and thoughtful.

[@aasemahsan]

2:02 *Samhain* festival (of ancient celts) 6:34 Syncretism with Christianity 9:15 Early customs of halloween (mainly in the British isles) 12:53 Spooky aspects 14:44 Historical context of modern aspects 17:03 *Halloween in USA*

[@mork8144]

i was thinking about syncreticm just now, but i forgot the actual work for it. i was like wait where did i hear about it before.oh yea that halloween video fron lets talk religion months ago,let me go back and look to see if he says the word. skipped around the video a couple times then went to the comment. immediatley seen this comment. you saved me hours of trying to find a definition of a obscure word. thank you !

[@D.Blake-v4e]

S o w e n new Christin Pos.

[@D.Blake-v4e]

Excuse me Jewwids? Roflollmao

[@Formicola]

My Scots father (born in 1945) described how he and his little friends would go 'guising' at Hallowe'en during his childhood. They made lanterns out of turnips and would walk around the neighbourhood offering a performance - a song, a poem, a dance etc - at each door, and be given food as a reward.

[@yensid4294]

I've always found it interesting how many Christmas traditions eventually became associated with Halloween. Telling of ghost stories ( A Christmas Carol is essentially a ghost story) going from house to house demanding food/drink, caroling & just general rowdiness by the populace.

[@ismetakrzalichadzic1977]

Halloween hat nichts mit Weinachten zu tun.Das ist sartanismus was in die Religion gebracht wurde.

[@roywalsh9676]

No these traditions existed in Ireland since ancient times. It was just Irish immigrants who brought them with them . This poster is from the cultural wasteland of Sweden, talking about an Irish festival quoting foreign references .as for caroling, probably the other way around in ancient Ireland they collected for the “Puckais “ the Irish name for ghosts by going door to door dressed in disguise costumes , the children were expected to sing or recite a poem

[@pretary1845]

I find some of the most engaging videos are "origin" videos... Origin of Halloween, Christmas, etc.. The how's, the why's. (Usually Christianity) It's cool seeing the through line of our traditions. I hope you have a great All Hallows Eve as well.

[@redere4777]

I'd recommend reading Ronald Hutton's "The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain". He's a well-known historian who specializes in such British religious history and his book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of holidays in the English-speaking world.

[@YorkyOne]

@@redere4777 Yes, and then contrast and compare with the nonsense spouted on 'The Pagan origins of.......' videos.

[@isaacjrivera8241]

In Mexican tradition we light candles in the house windows so that our dead loved ones will be able to find there way home when visiting on the day of the dead.

[@freeyourmind7538]

How? What if every house has candles lit? What if you move away?

[@isaacjrivera8241]

It’s obviously a symbolic way give honor and thanks to our ancestors.. A remembrance to our relatives that have past on.. does that make sense to you or no?

[@freeyourmind7538]

@@isaacjrivera8241 it makes sense, but then anything could be symbolic, there is no truth. I could symbolically turn my playstation on all night and my dead ancestors will come and play. If you want to honour the dead, do what muslims do, and feed the poor rather than wasting money on a capitalistic holiday. Yes, halloween is just a money making scam.

[@Evan-memo]

​@@freeyourmind7538lol

[@mariposamoreno]

@@freeyourmind7538what a stupid question

[@liberatumtaiwanae3580]

Love from Taipei. You can find a reinvigorated tradition of Halloween in Japan today. Since the finish of MidAutumn (Moon Day, Chuushu on Lunar Calendar 15th day of 8th month), usually early-mid September, all over Japan stores they stock Halloween and cosplay goods! Shibuya Halloween Cosplay(costume dress up) Party Night has become a national symbol, and partly thanks to anime, well known global-wise! Good to celebrate cool costumes for one night after 2 months of preparation!

[@23Lgirl]

Japan doesn't celebrates Halloween some people dress up in Shibuya. Mostly only Americans celebrates Halloween. Also look up the early days of Halloween in Japan(Halloween train). People where not happy.

[@meditation-musicale]

A real treat, Filip, well done, as always. Thank you !

[@ParvaizRaja]

I remember as kids we used to go door to door for a sort of Trick or Treat on the "Char Shanbeh Soori" an ancient Bonfire celebration held on the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar in the basically Arabic-speaking city of Abadan in Iran in the 1960s.

[@nazifarahman9198]

What is this bonfire about? Curious to know

[@ParvaizRaja]

@@nazifarahman9198 Char-Shanbeh-Soori is a festive tradition that occurs on the final Wednesday of the Iranian year, where individuals collect wood and create seven fires. They participate in a joyful ritual of leaping over these fires while singing, symbolically asking the fire to grant them happiness and good health (represented by redness) and remove any negative aspects like illness and aging (symbolized by yellowness). This celebration serves as a farewell to the old year and a warm welcome to the new year, which is just a few days away. Additionally, during Char-Shanbeh-Soori, children go door-to-door for Trick-or-Treating, and large family gatherings feature food and drinks.

[@Su_yt]

Is this tradition less practiced due to the 1979 revolution?

[@ParvaizRaja]

@@Su_yt This particular one has vanished completely but some Iranians including me and my family still perform it in exile.

[@Su_yt]

@@ParvaizRaja Wow, I can't believe that you responded so quickly! How is the current situation in Iran going? I saw a survey somewhere that Iranians are only 30% Shia and are overall, very secular. Is that true?

[@venusrosem]

Hands down THE BEST Halloween origin video I have seen! Thank you Filip, amazing Shocktober content! 🎃❤

[@ElGlaz]

Great video as always!! I love the aesthetics of halloween, the spookiness and the overall fun, however, as someone living in the southern hemisphere its somewhat paradoxical to celebrate a festivity heavily based on autumn and death, when its spring and everything is coming alive lol (well this is also the case with Christmas, seeing american movies of white snowy christmas while its blazing hot is really something) cheers from Chile

[@irkendragon]

I always wondered about that, if it were me I'd move it to when it made more sense for the local seasons. But obviously then comes the problem of getting everyone else to go along with it.

[@ElGlaz]

@@irkendragon In Chile we do celebrate the mapuche new year the 24 of june, its called We Tripantu, but its on a much lesser scale than the world wide new year's. I would bet that other indigenous festivities are celebrated in other parts of the souther hemisphere, they just dont get that much attention.

[@barrywilson4276]

The wonderful thing about Halloween is that children learn to enjoy spooky things without terror or fear. It introduces them to the classics Frankenstein, Dracula, werewolves etc. A hundred local children and their parents come to my door. I admire their costumes they delight in my decorations. I'm 74 and have accumulated dozens of fluorescent decorations that glow under 6 black lights. Most children have never seen black lights and are mesmerized and awed. No other day of the year brings such joy. If there are real demons out there the onslaught of happiness wounds them deeply.

[@spackar2720]

I am an adult, but I still love October and Halloween.

[@Embermoon91]

Halloween is for all age groups 🎃 🐈‍⬛ 👻 🦇 🧹 🌙

[@thepissedofflandlord]

It's my favourite time of the year. I'm a Scot and it's all about dressing up, cozy fires and most important of all...fine seasonal food, drink and jubilation.

[@kirstyevensen7557]

This was so insightful and informative. 🎃 Thank-you

[@CupcakeExplosion]

Great vid! Happy Halloween! 🎃🎃🎃

[@codsworth61]

You said dia de muertos in perfect spanish accent. Props for that

[@nihilean]

thank you! love these holiday episodes

[@danielu1763]

Thanks for another delightful and informative post. A Spooky and Happy Halloween to you!

[@portertikkanen9082]

Trick-or-treating as we know it began in the late 1920s. In fact, the earliest recorded usage of the phrase “trick or treat” comes from Blackie, Alberta, where in 1927 a newspaper article reported on pranksters demanding “trick or treat” at houses.

[@roywalsh9676]

The phrase may have but the disguises are ancient Irish , so too was going door to door dressed up

[@LunarWildRose]

🎃Happy Halloweenie! 🎃 I'm grateful to learn all of this about Halloween, I was so confused last year as I converted back to Christianity, and heard that Halloween was the Devil's holiday, and Christians can't/shouldn't celebrate it, while my Catholic relatives were fine with it. Thankyou for clearing this up!

[@sbeasley7585]

If you claim to follow Jesus and obey God as he did, then you would not celebrate Halloween, Christmas or Easter. God says no to all of it.

[@sbeasley7585]

I would think this video has enough information for Jesus' followers to say no to it and repent.

[@jaystevens1965]

@@sbeasley7585 Are you a member of the Brethern?

[@legendary5733]

@@sbeasley7585 where's your evidence for that? is it because their pagan. if that's true then why are Christians wearing wedding rings that were also pagan origin.

[@m_d1905]

​@@sbeasley7585 Good grief 😔

[@charlenewallmark1187]

This was fascinating!!! Thank you so much!!!!! 🧟‍♀️

[@1cruzbat1]

Thank you for a well balanced overview of Halloween!

[@2345434a]

“Samhain” is also the name for November in Scottish Gaelic and the name for Halloween is “Oidhche Shamhna.” “Shamhna” in this case is just the genitive of “samhain” and the literal translation is “night of Halloween.” There are still Celts in the world, even if they’re few in number! They’re not totally confined to ancient history.

[@thepissedofflandlord]

Yup we are alive and well. Enjoying samhainn:)

[@PseudoPseudoDionysius]

It’s same in Irish (Oíche Shamhna) too!

[@michaeldillon3113]

Just to confirm something Filip said - I am an old geezer of 68 in England and Halloween was pretty much a non event when I was young . Maybe an item on Bobbing apples on Blue Peter. We kind of knew that there was something creepy about the day but there was a lot of myth and rumour about . So it's been a bit of a surprise how it has caught on . When that process started it was pretty awful as there was a lot of delinquency associated with and it particularly frightened the old and the alone . It seems better now as kids are supervised by their parents and they tend to only go to houses that are decorated for Halloween. 🎃🕸️. Against this I have seen a decline in the public side of Christmas. So there would be carol singers going from house to house at one time - and it has been many years since I saw that . Another change has been Guy Fawkes Night . It was common for kids to make a cart out of an old pram or something , and then create a ' Guy ' and then go to the high st and beg ' Penny for the guy ' . A way to buy fireworks ( bangers in particular ) . Many houses with gardens would have their own bonfires with a few fireworks and jacket potatoes, but that has mainly gone now - to be replaced by big public firework events . Personally the more I have got into mysticism the less I am interested or perturbed by ' spooky ' . Personally I think it emphasizes duality - good bad - whereas as Mysticism emphasizes non-duality . So I practise my own festival called HallowOne 🙂. Peace everyone ✌️🕊️.

[@marcblur9055]

Guy Fawkes day was a good way for protestant England to co-opt the fun of Samhain/Halloween and put an anti-papish spin on it.

[@AntiFaGoat]

I don't think caroling was ever as popular here in the states as it was "across the pond," but as a kid I always wanted to do that for Christmas. No luck. The only groups I've ever seen caroling are really nutty Baptists.

[@YorkyOne]

​@@marcblur9055 As the gentlemen above says 'Halloween' was not celebrated as such in the majority of England until the 20th century - other than the tolling of bells on All Hallows Eve. Samhain is Irish and was never an English custom. 'Guy Fawkes Night' has no relevance to Samhain - the closeness of the dates is purely coincidental.

[@jaystevens1965]

@@marcblur9055 Am i correct in thinking that Guido Fawkes is considered a Catholic martyr?

[@brucecollins641]

@@YorkyOne samhain was never an irish custom. type in.....discover halloweens scottish origins | spooky isles ..

[@robbinwalton8333]

Awesome presentation, love the visuals, info, and your calm voice!!!

[@LandELiberation]

Jack o' the Lantern is also what we traditionally call Will o' the Wisp (swamp lights, ignis fatuis) in the Lincolnshire fens, around where much of Americas English settlers came from, which is otherwise linguistically attested

[@b.questor]

The prospect of eating turnips all winter is enough to make a child want to go around the neighborhood begging for and hoarding sweets. The biggest turnip hollowed out and filled with collected goodies, might offer a bit of compensation for the bitter cold days ahead.

[@declanhughes9896]

It’s my understanding that by the late 19th & early 20th century in the US Halloween was a night for outrageous pranks and vandalism for young people, sometimes being properly disruptive and destructive. “Trick or treat” was more of a threat than a greeting, now so defanged that it’s almost nonsensical. I’m not nostalgic for those days per se but it’s fun to think about! Anyway, happy Halloween everyone!

[@dave_goldcrest]

We still have that in Northern England. We call it Mischief Night. It's celebrated on the night before Guy Fawkes night.

[@n4ughty_knight]

The world's already super vandalized and violent. Guess it isn't that important anymore.

[@jant4741]

I saw smashed pumpkins & toilet papered trees in early 1980’s upstate NY.

[@BigUpSelecta]

Always great to hear from you

[@emyizumita6594]

this was very interesting and educational. I always wondered about its origin and there were so many unknown sources by just mouth to mouth stories that was told. Thank you for this video, it is convincing and cleared my doubt.

[@jayplay8140]

Just to mention, in the time of the Celtic druids, the approach of winter meant the inevitable death of some people, times being much harsher back then, therefore Samhain was as much a celebration with loved ones while it was still possible to do so

[@nirvanasanctuary7691]

Lovely informative video as always. Thinking about your comments towards the end, I'd love a deeper dive on how different religions handle death overall (like, not funerary or burial rites, more the general teachings, festivals, use of rituals or charms in this area etc) I'd love to hear your input on Dia de los Muertos. I'm also fascinated by the Chinese paper offerings & it's history. You're right to say Halloween had fallen out of fashion in Britain (it certainly wasn't much of a thing in the 50s, 60s, 70s or most of the 80s) however Scotland has always had a strong Mischief Night tradition. Brits have always had a strong identification with Bonfire night though which had many similar traditions eg Penny for the guy being trick or treating.

[@dragonrykr]

In my corner of Europe, Halloween is often seen as an American import. But we do have something similar - Karneval. Where people dress up in spooky or cheeful costumes, and burn a huge a doll symbolizing the worst predicament in the past year (usually depicting a politician or a disease). Then they dance in front of the burning effigy and exchange treats

[@Livingtabitha]

Happy Halloween! 🎃 🍂 🖤

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

How interesting that it is enjoyed in Sweden too!

[@xhoques]

Omg I never knew why Chinese translation of Halloween is something like thousand-saint/spirit day. I thought it was because many ghosts (spirits) are out that day. Now I know it's a rather direct translation from All Saint's Day.

[@rivervine]

Hi Filip. Thanks for doing this. Just wanted to point out that Samhain was not Oct. 31. The pre-Christian Celts didn't use the Gregorian Calendar. The oldest Celtic calendar we have is the Coligny Calendar, which was found in France in the 19th Century. Samon was the month marking the end of summer and the start of the new year, but we don't know if the months started on new moons, full moons, first crescent or what.

[@jmanj3917]

14:28 That cat doesn't look like a very willing participant in the broom ride...lol

[@YorkyOne]

It is a fallacy that All Saints Day was moved to 1st November to incorporate Samhain. If that were the case why did the early Irish church actually celebrate All Saints Day on 20th April until the move to 1st November in 835 (which btw was instigated by the English and German churches - areas where Samhain was never celebrated).

[@DamienJamesOFarrell]

Just delighted you pronounce Samhain correctly 😂 Stingey Jack save us from Sam Hain 😅

[@pinchevulpes]

Love how you can go between Sufism and Hallow’s Eve and keep my interest engaged non stop on what is considered the lowest rung of blooms taxonomy. Well done 👍

[@Prudenthermit]

Hope you had a lovely holiday :)

[@redskyz483]

Your video on Norse religion was excellent, could you do a video on the Celtic religion please.

[@nazifarahman9198]

India has their own Halloween too, its called narak chaturdashi/ bhoot chaturdashi

[@J_Eusebio]

Halloween is my favorite holiday and time of the year, I am holideppressed the rest of the year

[@aariley2]

You've gotta love a lit jack o'lantern. Pumpkins are so jolly.

[@aariley2]

They are a heck of a lot easier to carve too! Mine's aglow now on the front porch!!!

[@wottos]

Mmmmm, it was not abandoned in my part of Europe: Scotland. I grew up ”guising” (in the 80s) broadly similar to trick or treating, as did my parents when they were kids. I even remember trying to carve a turnip latern when I was about 10 (turnips are very tough), I suspect the switch to pumpkins was just to make it easier to carve. I have been bemused by the re-importation of halloween into England (where I now live) and also Hong Kong (!) when I lived there a few years ago.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

By the year 800 it was the English and German churches that had begun to celebrate All Saints Day on 1st November. The reason is unclear but the dying leaves and gloomy nature of the month in Northern Europe would seem more appropriate than May as practiced in Rome. As Samhain was a purely Irish festival it is clear that there was no ulterior motive with the English and Germans in the choice of the 1st November. And what makes this even more apparent is that the Irish church celebrated All Saints on the 20th April. It clearly had no need to try and supress Samhain by imposing its own Christian festival on the pagan feast day. But as Christianity had first arrived in Ireland in about 400 it begs the question as to what remained of Samhain rituals and practices several hundred years later? Probably folk customs and superstitions with absolutely no religious connotations.

[@m_d1905]

Well stated.

[@quantumfoam539]

In Greece Halloween doesn't exist as a celebration but we have a corresponding one called "Apokria" between February and March. People then dress up in costumes and participate in parties and public events. Our celebration is tied to the last Sunday before the start of the Easter period. But it is less spooky and more funny and limit breaking than Halloween. People traditionally dress up into whatever they might want from Alexander the Great to comedians to skeletons. And interestingly traditionally there is an element of gender play with men dressing as women and women as men. The Greek Church always fraud upon the celebration of Apokria as paganin origin and in fact seems to indeed come from pre-Christian times. But is and has been in the past very popular in Greece. When we first heared through TV about Halloween I remember my little sister asking "why Americans have their Apokria in October?".

[@m_d1905]

Love the sister's reaction. The reaction of an American kid would be similar, wondering why Greece had Halloween in the early spring. 😂 Sounds like a fun celebration.

[@mastodon.social]

American Halloween...is about...getting Candy "Eh, it's a Business Transaction"

[@whatwouldpicarddomakeitso9607]

Thank you for sharing . Very interesting and in formative . 🇬🇧💛🤍

[@veronicamoody3981]

Thank you. It was very informative and I learned so much about Halloween.

[@PseudoPseudoDionysius]

Brilliant video as always! (I’d just point out that the term “the British Isles” - while in the UK and internationally as a simple geographical term - is often considered contentious from an Irish perspective, as it suggests that Ireland is a “British” island.)

[@chris7263]

As a US American it can sometimes feel like we have no culture of our own, just things we borrowed from other countries. But Halloween might just be the number one counter-example, and that's a pretty cool legacy actually.

[@saturationstation1446]

we have one major shared part of our culture in USA. and that is - seeking freedom from oppression. its basically the only thing thats uniquely american. the rest is eurocentric culture thats kind of forced down our throats against our will. but we are the only eurocentric place on earth thats (supposedly) wiggled out from under the thumb of monarchs. all the other eurocentric countries are functionally still monarchies that trick their populations into thinking there is some kind of democracy happening lol. they all have cultures and governments that place importance on giving those who have had wealth for centuries complete power over them and impunity from the same rules imposed on their population. we at least do have ways of holding most of our lawmakers responsible for bad behavior. that doesnt happen in europe.

[@morganseppy5180]

There are a lot of uniquely American inventions and traditions, Thanksgiving and Superbowl come to mind. Even more if you look at non-white culture--basketball and jazz are uniquely American and invented by segregated blacks. Also, visit a Baptist sevice in the south, you'll get an American expression of faith and religious practice. Go out west and visit reservation areas, you'll see lots of First People traditions, art, and music. Go to the ethnic parts of major cities, you'll find "old country" cooking, art, abs music, but also "Americanized" twists and entirely new ideas by the generations born in the US. Even what you might call European traditions are often changed by what's on hand and new ideas from the US, as we saw with the Halloween traditions of pumpkins and trick or treating.

[@J_Eusebio]

@@morganseppy5180basketball was invented by a white Canadian…

[@J_Eusebio]

@@morganseppy5180James Naismith was his name

[@morganseppy5180]

@@J_Eusebio Til. I thought it was invented by a black dude in the YMCA

[@janerkenbrack3373]

Nice video, and Happy Hallowe'en. I believe the modern American practice of Trick or Treat comes from a town in Kansas, where efforts were made (eventually successfully) to curb the destruction and vandalism by youths in practices that had been carried to the states (and increased) from the old country. Make parties and costumes and treats take the place of bonfires and window soaping.

[@ryanhollist3950]

Now I need to find a recipe for soul cake.

[@shawnharrington9548]

I think it was made with honey and rye infected by ergot.

[@cyberfrank-bx2nv]

happy Halloween! good show bro, and God save us all

[@Zen_with_Ziggy]

Thank you for this meaningful and heartfelt shocktober video! 🎃

[@Occident.]

Born in Gateshead, N/E England in 1960. Im totally of Irish and Scots Origin. Halloween is Celtic in Origin. Growing up in the 1960s we would carve out a Turnip during the day of Oct 31st, carving a scary face into it. These we called "Jack O' Lanterns". We also made Scary Masks out of Paper or Cardboard. We often did this at school. When darkness came, a candle was placed in the Turnip, and we put on the masks. My dear mum always called this "guising". We knocked at the doors of freinds, and out they would come in their Masks too. We ducked for apples, and ghost storys were told. I dont recall asking for treats. That came much later. Maybe late 1980s, copied from America. November 1st was All Souls day for we Catholic kids. We had the day off school and went to church. In parts of England those days, Halloween was known as "Mischief night" where children played pranks on adults. Not in my region of N/E England tho.

[@TheRavenD]

12:24 I think you need the help of good ol' Pazuzu to banish that ghost. 🎃

[@JuanitaGrande]

Thanks much for this one, especially that Shatner tidbit. 🙃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN to ye! 👻

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

happy halloween!

[@ceh5526]

Thank you. It is interesting to note how here in the UK, several of the old traditions of All Hallows’ Eve have been taken within the celebrations of ‘Guy Fawkes Night’ aka ‘Bonfire Night’ (5th November ). There are bonfires that once marked both the vigil of All Saints and Martyrs, and to dispel the dark spirits (whom the ancient Romans were accused of worshipping by many Christian martyrs), along with ‘bobbing for apples’ around the 5th November. Its an interesting sociological point to see how James I and VI, who was so obsessed with witchcraft, used those folk celebrations to mark his and Parliament’s safe escape from Catholic assassination, and the liberation of the English people a generation earlier from the Catholic Spanish Armada. Lots of themes to explore but too little space here! I live not to far from Pendle Hill, the epicentre of early C.17th witchcraft (or more probably Catholic recusancy!)

[@YorkyOne]

It has been noted that the English required little encouragement to light a celebratory fire.

[@colingallagher1648]

thanks for all your videos

[@dynamic9016]

Thanks much for this video.

[@Cristina-dv5ij]

I love these videos 🐈‍⬛🎃

[@Tom-sd9jb]

I love that story about stingy Jack!

[@comeandsee9643]

Excellent presentation.

[@stephennordlinger365]

Great job!

[@koziewitha-k6516]

I wonder if the apple and mirror tradition was at all an influence to the story of Snow White? Also, sounds very similar to the Bloody Mary story

[@m_d1905]

Very likely.

[@spackar2720]

I believe that Halloween descended from Samhain. It cannot be a coincidence that they both fall on October 31st. The Catholic church must have co-opted the date and replaced Samhain and other pagan harvest festivals with the Christian celebration of All Hallows Eve. However, the association of 10/31 with the supernatural was too ingrained in ancient European culture, and so All Hallows Eve became the spooky festival of Halloween.

[@aariley2]

I love it! It's so fun!!! 🦇🧛🏼🧝🏼🎃🕯️🦇🔮

[@manahil558]

Happy Halloween everyone!❤

[@marcblur9055]

Take a look or search for a similar Eastern European celebration, particularly in Romania, on November 29th known as Saint Andrew's Eve. It's also a young peoples' celebration full of vampire and werewolf tales and a lot of fortune telling. It holds a lot of similarities with modern Halloween.

[@b.questor]

🎃 Pumpkins have been popular in many places and at different times, including: Central America Pumpkins were first cultivated in Central America over 7,500 years ago. They were an important food source for indigenous people. Europe Pumpkins were introduced to Europe in the 16th century by the French. They became popular in English cuisine and were used in soups, pies, and preserves. North America Indigenous Americans cultivated pumpkins for thousands of years. English colonists arrived in the 17th century and began using pumpkins as a food staple. United States The earliest Pilgrims invented pumpkin pie, which was a variation of baked pumpkins. Pumpkin pie season was announced in print in the late 1800s and continued to be newsworthy into the 20th century. Halloween Pumpkins became associated with Halloween because of their long history of being associated with wild nature. The Jack-O'-Lantern is a tradition from the old Celtic tradition of Halloween. Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which also includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons, and zucchini. They are now grown on six continents, all but Antarctica. - Research Labs AI

[@Yabuturtle]

I always felt like it was one of the stupidest things ever to say Halloween is evil, which it isn't, or that it is satanic, which it also isn't, since practices were done by people who knew nothing of satan. xD That's like saying Hinduism worships the devil, when they were around long before the concept of the devil existed. Worship of satan includes, Oh, I don't know, actually worship and devotion to that entity. xD I mean, how more obvious can it get that it was never about devil worship. I'm a Celtic Pagan working with others, nobody likes the devil, worships him or causes physical or mental harm to anyone.

[@TransKidRevolution]

🙄

[@turnleftman]

I do think its an interesting holiday. I think a lot of people regardless of spirituality, religion, or creed are sort of facinated with the macabre, and Halloween just gives them an outlet for that fascination.

[@ismetakrzalichadzic1977]

😅Dieses Gruselige Zeug hatt nichts mit der Religion zu tun.

[@m_d1905]

​@ismetakrzalichadzic1977 Humans have always been fascinated and frightened by death and the "unseen world ", religion of the day notwithstanding.

[@lookash3048]

To be honest, here in Poland, Halloween hasn't caught. It seems that the festival is too close to All Saints Day and people simply don't have time to celebrate Halloween because they are in way to their relatives' graves or they prepare themselves to cleaning graves at morning of All Saints Day. We have similar festival with fortune telling and magic on Saint Andrew's Eve.

[@n4ughty_knight]

Based Poland

[@irkendragon]

That's so funny and weirdly ironic, Halloween, which is all about being the day before All Saint's Day, isn't really celebrated as much in a place where everyone still celebrates All Saint's Day. Whereas it's the opposite in the U.S. where I've never heard of anyone celebrating All Saint's Day and instead Halloween is huge.

[@NerdJake]

This is way cool!!!

[@JaefarSABNW]

Any of the seasonal points or other types of holidays would have been thought of as times when the spiritual was more accessable. Associations take time-like how seasonal music bears certain recognizable features. The demonization of cultures does shape how these things are adapted.

[@willcollings5681]

To add to the divination aspects, we also have records surviving from Nova Scotia of gaels using Ovomancy (leughadh nan uighean in Gaelic, lit. "reading of the eggs")

[@-nf9vt]

I learned how to day happy Halloween in french and Spanish through Immersive translate. The app is great with translation

[@remonremon973]

Great video

[@shotgunridersweden]

@letstalkreligion you should do a christmas video on tomten or nissen.

[@thedabbinunicorn5432]

The Orange & black is the dark of night and the Orange light from the fire 🎃🎃🎃

[@Ruger-h5h]

Now it's Nov, can do one about the pilgrims for U.S.based holiday TG.

[@unclebearsrodeo1997]

Blessed Samhain! Thank you for this video!✨🎃🖤🎃✨

[@someinteresting]

Will you do a companion video on Walpurgisnacht for 30th April?

[@spicytrashmanda9860]

Anyone know the name/artist of the painting at 12:39?

[@aimeemorgado8715]

Wishing everyone a happy and meaningful holiday- however you choose to celebrate!

[@carlose4314]

All Souls Day has origins in some monasteries celebrating masses for the deceased.

[@chantellebarani4708]

Could the mirror and the apple tradition possibly be where the scene of mirror, mirror on the wall derived from?

[@b.questor]

Confronting the fear of death above all.

[@HyButchan]

Love the content generally but you emphasized a bit too much on the American version of Halloween. America didn't add anything specifically unique to Halloween just made it international but all the core aspects of Halloween were well established long before the late 1800s, when it became popular in US. You failed to mention that it was mainly the Irish who brought it to America in its recognizable form. Young Protestant, often puritan America in the mid 1800s didn't take too kindly to the Irish Catholics bringing over their pagan rural superstitious festivals. It took a while to become established there. You also kept saying it came from the British isles; I don't think it was ever celebrated in England until recent years.

[@WillieMcDuffle]

Are you making a video for this year ?

[@Lalalala22537]

are there sufi traditions that believe in ghosts ? Not jins but after death people becoming ghosts ..is there any such belief?

[@ghoulenthusiast5731]

Do a video on tengri

[@green_ranger]

Happy Reformation day

[@harry.tallbelt6707]

21:22 is that.. Deadpool?