What is your regional tales on the origin of Halloween?

[1fallen]

Mine was Irish based from my Uncle.
The time when the souls of the departed would return to their former homes and when potentially malevolent spirits were released from the Otherworld and were visible to mankind.
Trust me there is so many more to just this take from the Irish.

[QIII]

It was Irish/Celtic and it developed from Samhain (sah'-win).

[1fallen]

It was Irish/Celtic and it developed from Samhain (sah'-win).

What? No Zombie Apocalypse?
I guess I'll just have to settle for Pukah

[jetsam]

It wasn't ever very clear in my American upbringing... There were certain things that always circulated around Haloween time that sort of had some claim to the origin tale:
The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
The Tale of Sleepy Hollow
The Salem Witch Trials...

There was storytelling of various forms involved with all of these... Teachers, I think, hauling out "film strip" projectors Bits on TV, afterschool specials... The Charlie Brown evening two days before the 31st... It never bothered me if the stories may have conflicted.

Classic horror movies filled out the picture. Frankenstein was the first movie I stayed home and watched alone, and it legitimately scared the hell out of me It, er... scared me because it's actually scary: It's Alive!

I was a werewolf for 4 or five years. It was easier than making a new costume, but I improved the old one every year.

[mastablasta]

we do not really celebrate haloween. we do have all saints day that we call day of remembering. when we remember the dead and light a candle for them

in the old days it was believed that in the long nights spirits of departed would show up. this was represented with masked men. but then christian church hijacked the holiday (like many others). they said that on 2nd november souls of people that were waiting to cross over would appear and that people should pray to help them. some prayed other paid (probably with food) poor children to go around houses and give prayers. but i guess you really need to believe into this if you want to be scared.


on 31st October we have reformation day when we celebrate the reformation. though it really failed in our country, it was an important time in our history since they made first books in my langauge (including grammar books). since about 9th century we were always governed by another nation, yet we managed not only to preserve the language but make books in it and evolve it.

[Frogs Hair]

I'm not aware of any regional conciseness regarding Halloween, but my views were shaped by stories about various pagan traditions. There were also horror movie influences because scary movies were/are rerun at that time of year .

[bernard010]

All - Hollows - Eve or known as the Day of the Dead. The celebration for all spirits that have passed away.

[corrio]

Jason.