One other piece of "history" - the last day of the Celtic Year (Allhallows'
Even) was considered a time when the "door" between the living and dead was
open, and Celts could ask a "boon" of their departed ancestors.  Thus the
themes of spooks and ghosts and so on that became associated with Halloween.

Ginny Jones (a Welsh Celt by ancestry)

Records Manager
Information Technology Division
Newport News Dept. of Public Utilities
Newport News, VA
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gervais, John [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 2:36 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: OT - Halloween
>
>
> (Snip) Origins of Halloween - The festival of Halloween is based on a
> combination of the Christian commemoration of the departed
> faithful (All
> Saints' Day) with the pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with a
> celebration of the end of summer and the Celtic New Year.
> Celts who lived in
> what is now known as Ireland, Scotland and parts of Great
> Britain celebrated
> their new year that began November 1. Allhallows' Even was
> observed on the
> evening of October 31st. Around 800 A.D., the day became known among
> Christians as Allhallomas which eventually changed to All
> Hallow E'en, or
> Halloween.
>
> I am happy that Alice had fun on Halloween (and forgot the politics of
> Halloween) as it is good for morale in the office sometimes
> to let your hair
> down, so to speak.  For all you parents please enjoy the
> magic while your
> children are young because all too soon they turn into adults
> and the magic
> disappears (although I am still a big kid).  Have a
> spooktacular weekend!
>
> John Gervais
> Program Manager
> Policy and Standards Section
> Information Policy and Governance Division
> Intergovernmental and International Affairs Directorate
> Policy and Planning Branch
> Canada Revenue Agency
> 25 Nicolas Street, 16th Floor
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0L5
>
> ' 1-613-688-9302
> * mailto:[log in to unmask]
> "  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/
>
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