"The ancient custom of wearing Halloween masks, just like
Halloween itself, goes back to the ancient ritual called
Samhain, the origins of modern Halloween..."
We've eventually managed to fix our good old time travelling machine...
That's why Paul Hulse, our Guest Writer for today's post, was able to travel as far as 2,000 years back in time to bring us back some facts and informations about the ancient origin of Halloween masks.
Now, that's what I call genuine dedication!
Enjoy!
Loup Dargent
Ancient Origin
Of Halloween Masks
Paul Hulse
The ancient custom of wearing Halloween masks, just like
Halloween itself, goes back to the ancient ritual called
Samhain, the origins of modern Halloween. Unlike Halloween masks
today, which are worn for fun and trick-or-treating, Halloween
masks during Samhain were used for religious purposes, believed
to protect them from evil spirits and ghosts. Halloween masks
have evolved since those first ceremonies 2,000 years ago into a
festive way to celebrate Halloween, with young children parading
around in masks during trick-or-treat. Here are the true origins
of Halloween masks and how they've evolved over the centuries.
Origins Trace Back to a Dark Celtic Festival
Halloween masks were first used in an ancient Celtic festival
called Samhain, pronounced sow-in. Traditionally celebrated at
the end of October, it signified the last harvest. Celts
believed on October 31st, the realm between the dead and the
living merged, which caused problems for the living. To combat
that (and calm angry spirits) they built big bonfires, overseen
by druids, and sacrificed animals, hoping to appease the dead.
They also wore masks made from animal heads. They would don
these crudely fashioned animal heads to mimic dead spirits. It
was also used to appease angry spirits.
As Samhain developed into the Celts' common holiday, Celts wore
masks outside bonfire ceremonies. Celts even wore it before
leaving the house, fearing for their own lives. This belief --
that masks protected you from dead spirits -- carried on for
hundreds of years, even after Pope Boniface IV turned it into a
Christian holiday called All Saints Day. Christians and pagans
alike believed that evil sprits lurked in the night, ready to
snatch innocent people if they weren't disguised. These were the
first origins of Halloween masks.
The Origins of Halloween Masks in Nineteenth Century Europe
By the 1800s Halloween morphed into a church-sanctioned
holiday, centered on celebrating Christianic saints. People
still feared ghosts and other spirits on October 31st, despite
what the church said. This practice of wearing masks after
nightfall was a tradition far rooted into human culture, dating
back further than Samhain. Thousands of years ago humans wore
masks after big disasters or droughts to scare off lingering
demons. They believed that demons caused all major catastrophes,
and that belief even existed in the 1800s. Merged with the
practice of Samhain and All Saints Day, Europeans religiously
wore masks during Halloween to protect themselves from evil
spirits.
When the immigration boom hit America in the mid-1800s,
European immigrants flooded American soil, bringing the
tradition of Halloween masks with them. Their origins melded
with the Native American-European origins, developing into
modern America's version of Halloween.
Origins of Modern Halloween Masks in America
Halloween was very taboo up to the twentieth century -- most
believed it was an evil holiday and refused to celebrate it.
Most celebrations were very small, consisting of small parades
and celebrations.
Problems developed during this time. Vandalism was rampant
across America, mostly the work of mischievous, curious
children. Eventually parents got tired of the vandalism, so they
dug back to their Samhain origins and revived the use of
costumes and masks. In 1920, Anoka, Minnesota was the first town
to hold citywide celebrations with people in full-masked attire.
Trick-or-treating grew out of this lone celebration in Anoka.
Anokans believe the origins of modern Halloween came from their
city, although that's debatable.
From that point on, it developed into our modern version of
masks, worn for fun during trick-or-treat. It wasn't so fun in
the days of the Celts, who feared for their lives, but over the
centuries, these ancient origins developed into modern, fun
versions. Now all Halloween is to us is fun and joy on the 31st
of October.
About The Author:
Paul Hulse writes for the Halloween Costumes
online retailer www.incostume.com.
Please visit theirsite for more information on Halloween Costumes
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