The Lost Meaning of Halloween

Christian Hummel reveals the lost meaning Halloween and how it evolved from Samhain (pronounced sah-win) to All Hallow's Eve.

All Hallow's Eve, Hallow E'en, Halloween, Day of the Dead, Samhain. By whatever name it has been called, this special night preceding All Hallows day (November 1st) has been considered for centuries as one of the most magical nights of the year. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest.

As ubiquitous as Halloween celebrations are throughout the world, few of us know that the true origin of Halloween is a ceremony of honoring our ancestors and the day of the dead. A time when the veils between the worlds were thinner, and so many could "see" the other side of life. A time in the year when the spiritual and material worlds touched for a moment, and a greater potential exists for magical creation. Read more

Top 10 Little-Known Halloween Facts

Halloween is America's second largest commercial holiday, but how much do you really know about its history and traditions? The Examiner lists the top ten little-known Halloween facts.

Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31, originally started as nothing more than an autumn harvest festival. Today, the holiday is associated with ghosts, costumes and, of course, candy. It has long been thought that Halloween is the one day of the year the dead can return to earth. It is estimated that Americans spend more than $6 billion each year on Halloween, which makes it the United States’ second largest commercial holiday.

Below are The Examiner’s top 10 facts and trivia not necessarily known about Halloween:: Read more