feast of samhain:halloween-it's origin and symbols

During the 4th Century A.D., Roman Emperor, Constantine The Great (Reign 324-327 AD) declared Christianity as lawful. The spread of Christianity was slow due to pagan beliefs—rituals and practices of the masses. The heads of the church embarked on a mission to stamp out other pagan religions. The Celts religious beliefs were too much for the Christians, so they compromised by giving the Celts’ rituals and holidays new meanings and names. The Christian’s All Saints Day was originally celebrated on May 1. This day honored early Christian martyrs. Another name for All Saints Day allowed for the idolatrous Celtics (now Christians) to still celebrate on the Feast of Samhain (lord of the dead)! Now on October 31st this became “ALL HALLOWS EVE” which was later shortened to HALLOWEEN.

WITCHES are the most popular symbol of Halloween. She is depicted as an old woman, walking bent over with a black hat and a long cloak. She is usually seated upon a broom stick and has her favorite companion at her side, the black cat.
That, however, is merely an imaginary picture of the witch, for as you will see, witches can be your next door neighbor, the friendly bus driver, or your sophisticated banker.


WITCHCRAFT THE OLD RELIGION
“Witchcraft,” the “old religion” is as old as mankind. The word witch is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “wit” which means wise. Witchcraft consists of the use of sorcery, spells and magic. The craft stems from Ancient Pagan religions that worshipped the elements of nature.


OWLS were considered to be creatures of evil by the ancient Romans. It was believed that witches were able to transform themselves into Owls. An Owls erie shrieks on a lonely night would send any traveler swiftly on his journey.
The Spanish word for owl “Bruja” also means witch. Like bats, owls are nocturnal and their eyes are objects of fear, mystery and legend.



JACK-O-LANTERN
Centuries ago, these lights were attributed to Lantern Men, often called Hob-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern, Will-O-Wisp or Will. Many superstitions were made because of a lack of overstanding of the causes of the light. It was believed to be souls of the sinner who were condemned to walk the Earth until the end of time.
One such legend came from an old Irish story about a man named Stringy Jack who liked to play tricks on the evil one. He tricked the evil one into promising not to claim his soul. When Jack appeared at the gates of (so-called, unproven) hell, they turned him away.

As Scotish and Irish people migrated to America they discovered the pumpkin which they found to be an excellent substitute for their customary turnip. The pumpkins became the perfect Jack-O-Lantern and has been used ever since.

Source::Halloween, The Evil One’s Sabbath