name generator random name generator wheel

This time of the year had already become when many Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples celebrated their dead (as the beginning of Winter was often seen as nature starting to 'die', only to rise again in spring), and all these traditions became the foundations of what we know today as Halloween.ĭuring the Middle Ages, All Hallow's Eve and All Hallow's Day had become holy days of obligation, and customs like souling – baking and sharing 'soul cakes' to honour all souls who have been christened – are often interpreted as being the initial seed of what eventually grew into trick-or-treating. As with the previous combined festivals of the Romans, this is often interpreted as a way of quietly merging the two faiths, preserving pagan traditions by folding them into Christian doctrine, and with November 1st now a day to celebrate all Christian saints, whether known and unknown, October 31st became All Hallows Eve. These traditions were combined over the four centuries of Roman rule, and were then in 835 when Pope Gregory IV switched the day of the Christian celebration of All Hallows Day to November 1st, the same day as Samhain. Firstly, by the end of the first century A.D., the Romans had conquered or settled a large variety of Celtic-speaking countries, and ended up combining two of their own festivals with the day of Samhain – Feralia, a celebration of the spirits of the dead, and a day to honour the goddess Pomona, who represented fruitful abundance. Various traditions grew up around this celebration, including the idea of leaving offerings out in tribute to any wandering spirits, but these pagan traditions began to transform thanks to outside influences. (This was also seen as a time when Druids would find it much easier to make accurate predictions about the future.) Samhain marked the end of harvest and the start of the darkest time of the year, and was also seen as a point where the boundaries between reality and the mystical Otherworld would grow thin, and spirits or fairies would walk the land. It's largely viewed as originating from the Celtic pagan tradition of Samhain, one of four seasonal festivals that were celebrated throughout the year (the others being Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh). Halloween is a celebration that's been around in one form or another for hundreds of years.

Name generator random name generator wheel