Halloween History
Nearly every culture has some celebration of the dead that has helped form the basis of Halloween. "Various superstitions cross over and fade into each other," says Stephen Glosecki, Ph.D., UAB associate professor of English. "Then through time and intermingling, the stories began to reinforce each other." The early Celtic festival, Samhrain celebrated the dead, the harvest and the Celtic New Year. "At these celebrations, Druids officiated at sacrifices of farm animals and possibly human sacrifices. When these legends combine with natural occurrences like leaves falling and days getting shorter, superstitions are born.
Contact: Gail Short, Media Relations, 205-934-8931 or [email protected].
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