Changes

All Saints' Day is mentioned by the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' in its entry for 1083.<ref>1083: O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) Translated as "And in this same year departed Matilda, queen of King William, on the day after All-Hallow-mass." See "[https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/ang11.asp The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Eleventh Century]".</ref>

All Saints' Day is mentioned by the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' in its entry for 1083.<ref>1083: O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) Translated as "And in this same year departed Matilda, queen of King William, on the day after All-Hallow-mass." See "[https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/ang11.asp The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Eleventh Century]".</ref>

===Scottish origins===

===Samhain and the Celtic calendar===

====The Celtic calendar====

''Sanas Cormaic'', an Irish glossary written around 900, gives ''Imbol'' (February 1) as the first day of spring, ''Beltaine'' (May 1) the first day of summer, ''Lugnasad'' (August 1) the first day of fall, and ''Samhain'' (November 1) the first day of winter.<ref name="Olmsted">Olmsted, Garrett (2009). ''The Coligny Calendar: the Implications for Gaulish and Irish Festival Dates''.</ref> In modern Gaelic, ''Samhain'' refers primarily to the month of November.<ref>Mark, Colin, ''The Gaelic–English Dictionary'' (2003)<br/>All Saints' Day is called ''Fèill nan Naomh Uile'' in Scotland and ''Lá na Naomh Uile'' in Ireland.</ref> The Irish adopted the Julian calendar around AD 450. The seasonal dates may have transferred from the Celtic calendar at this time.

''Sanas Cormaic'', an Irish glossary written around 900, gives ''Imbol'' (February 1) as the first day of spring, ''Beltaine'' (May 1) the first day of summer, ''Lugnasad'' (August 1) the first day of fall, and ''Samhain'' (November 1) the first day of winter.<ref name="Olmsted">Olmsted, Garrett (2009). ''The Coligny Calendar: the Implications for Gaulish and Irish Festival Dates''.</ref> In modern Gaelic, ''Samhain'' refers primarily to the month of November.<ref>Mark, Colin, ''The Gaelic–English Dictionary'' (2003)<br/>All Saints' Day is called ''Fèill nan Naomh Uile'' in Scotland and ''Lá na Naomh Uile'' in Ireland.</ref> The Irish adopted the Julian calendar around AD 450. The seasonal dates may have transferred from the Celtic calendar at this time.

With a leap day every five years, the Coligny calendar gives the length of a solar year as 365.20 days. Since the true length is 365.2422 days, the calendar drifted by one day every 23.7 years.<ref name="Olmsted"/><ref>The amount of drift can be used to estimate the age of the calendar. For Samhain to move from the December-January period to November suggests that the calendar was in use for about 1,300 years. Pliny writes that Celtic months started on sixth day of the lunar cycle. This suggests that the calendar had already accumulated a thousand years worth of drift in his time, according to Olmsted.</ref>

With a leap day every five years, the Coligny calendar gives the length of a solar year as 365.20 days. Since the true length is 365.2422 days, the calendar drifted by one day every 23.7 years.<ref name="Olmsted"/><ref>The amount of drift can be used to estimate the age of the calendar. For Samhain to move from the December-January period to November suggests that the calendar was in use for about 1,300 years. Pliny writes that Celtic months started on sixth day of the lunar cycle. This suggests that the calendar had already accumulated a thousand years worth of drift in his time, according to Olmsted.</ref>

====Bonfires====

====Bonfires====

When the Reformation swept Scotland in May 1559, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day (Nov. 2), and other Catholic holidays were suppressed. It was thought that the living could help the souls of the dead escape purgatory on All Souls' Day by lighting bonfires and by other activities. Bonfires are one of the oldest and most persistent Halloween observances, so this practice could have transferred.

When the Reformation swept Scotland in May 1559, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day (Nov. 2), and other Catholic holidays were suppressed. It was thought that the living could help the souls of the dead escape purgatory on All Souls' Day by lighting bonfires and by other activities. Bonfires are one of the oldest and most persistent Halloween observances, so this practice could have transferred.