Halloween: re-branded and re-done

Happy Hallowe'en! Or should I say Happy Samhain? Depending on your religious beliefs and whether or not you were born these last two centuries, the answer may be different.

Samhain is the end of the Druidic year when the Druids believed that the lines between the living and the dead were blurred and souls of the dead would return and roam around with the living. Feasts were held in honour of the dead but, the dead weren't mourned, they celebrated in memory of their lives.

With the increase in popularity of Christianity in the 800s, Christian leaders began looking for ways to convert the pagan population. The best way to do this? Re-branding pagan holidays to incorporate Christian ideals.

First, All Soul's Day was created so that the people could remember their dead and have a feast in their honor. Sound familiar? Only, this feast was a Christian one, with praying to the appropriate saints included.

It was a brilliant move on the part of the Christians! Re-branding Samhain to Hallowe'en was a smart way to bring over reluctant followers who still wanted to hold on to the old ways, not to mention it created a sense of history for Christianity in Ireland when the religion was new to the area. I guess you could call Christians the original brand managers.

Happy Samhain everyone!