[MR] Halloween lore

[EoganOg at aol.com]

Thanks for the post about some of the pagan origins of Halloween.  I'd like 
to contribute by adding some of the early and medieval history of this 
holiday.

Halloween, or Hallowe'en, is the popular name for the vigil of the feast of 
All Saints.  All Saints' Day is a solemnity in the Church that is celebrated 
on November 1.  It was instituted to honor all the saints, both known and 
unknown.

In the early days of the Church, Christians would solemnize the anniversary 
of a martyr's death for Christ at their place of martyrdom.  By the fourth 
century, neighboring dioceses would exchange feasts, transfer relics, join in 
a common feast, etc.  Also, groups of martyrs who died on the same day woudl 
lead to a joint commemoration.

During the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian, the number of Christian martyrs 
became so great that there was no way a seperate day could be assigned to 
commemorate each of them.  So the Church appointed a common day for all the 
martyrs to be remembered.

The first trace of a feast for All Saints is from Antioch, where it was 
celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.  Other places apparantly had 
different days.  At first, only the matryrs and St. John the Baptist were 
honored on All Saints' Day, but gradually other saints were added.

Pope Gregory III, who regined from 731 to 741, consecrated a chapel in the 
Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints, and fixed the day of honor at 
November 1.  Pope Grgory IV (827-844) extended the Nov. 1 celebration to the 
entire Church.

The vigil (Halloween) seems to have been held as early as the feast itself.

Information from the 1910 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Tighearn Eoghan Og mac Labhrainn, CP, OPE
http://www.albanach.org
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