Oh, well better late than never.
This is actually a response to a message in the French songs thread

According to Eric A. Kimmel in the Oct 1980 issue of Cricket magazine (I've tried to shorten it a bit):

The Celtic New Year began on November 1st, marking the end of autumn and the beginning of winter; the time of the Samhain festival. The Celts believed that Samhain, the God of the Underworld, permitted the souls of the dead to return to their homes. So on Samhain Eve, Oct 31st, all the hearth fires were put out. The Druids, the Celtic priests, kindled huge bonfires on the hilltops to help the wandering spirits find their way home. Live sacrifices were made in these flames, and the Celts lit torches from the sacred bonfires to carry home to make new fires in their hearths to herald the new year. The word "bonfire" itself comes from "bone-fire" because the bones of the sacrifices remained in the ashes.

It was the custom for people to dress up in animal skins. In Ireland a parade was held in honor of Muck Olla, god of fertility and plenty. The leader of the parade wore a white robe and a mask made from a deer's head and antlers. Those following behind begged food from the people and houses they passed --an early form of trick or treat.

When the Romans conquered the Celts and moved to Gaul (now France) in the first century AD they brought with them Feralia, an occasion of great feasting in honor of the dead. Special ceremonies were held in honor of Pomona, the patron goddess of fruit bearing trees ....merging with Samhain and thus we go to parties, eat nuts and sweets and bob for apples.

Centuries later when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire all pagan rituals were banned. The Church changed the old holidays into Christian celebrations. In 800AD All Saint's Day(Nov 1) and All Soul's Day (Nov 2) were created to take the place of Feralia which had taken the place of Samhain. All Saints Day or All Hallows(Holy) Day was created to honor any saints who didn't have their own particular day. All Soul's Day honors the dead. The actual celebration of these two holidays began on the night of Oct 31st, the evening of All Hallows Day, which was called All Hallows Even or Hallow E'en, now known as Halloween.

Jack o' the Lantern Tale:
Jack did one evil deed after another. Since he didn't believe in Heaven or Hell, neither would have him after he died so he was condemned to walk the earth forever. Thus, his ghost wanders the roads at night, holding a lantern to light his path. In Ireland they made lanterns of hollowed out gourds or turnips cutting a few holes in its side and sticking a candle stub in. Sometimes they cut a scary face. When the first Irish immigrants came to America, they found that the native pumpkin made a capital "Jack-o-Lantern".

The Irish also brought the custom of trick or treat to America. In Ireland, Halloween was a good time for getting back at people you didn't like or for just plain making mischief. Bands of young men and women would roam around in the dark, playing tricks on their neighbors. The next day it would be "Oh, my, it must have been those wicked ghosts!". People soon realized that a good way to avoid trouble was to pay off the local bullies before Halloween. But soon these gangs were so bold that they came knocking at the door -masked, of course- demanding a bribe, or else: either be tricked or hand out a treat

From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!!

judy