It’s that time of year again – the second most popular holiday behind Christmas. There are many names given for this season: “Halloween,” “All Saints Day,” “The Devils Day,” “Hallelujah Night,” and “Fall Festival.” The origins of this go back to at least the fourth century. It was quite popular in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic year ended on October 31, the eve of Samhain, and was celebrated with both religious and harvest rites. For the Druids, Samhain was both the “end of summer” and a festival of the dead. When St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, he had a way of accommodating certain pagan customs, which the people incorporated into Christian beliefs. It’s interesting that he brought Christianity to these beliefs.
