{"id":1790,"date":"2023-03-01T16:02:49","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T15:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=1790"},"modified":"2023-03-01T16:02:49","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T15:02:49","slug":"did-the-ancient-romans-celebrate-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/did-the-ancient-romans-celebrate-halloween\/","title":{"rendered":"Did the ancient romans celebrate halloween?"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, the ancient Romans did not celebrate Halloween. This holiday is a relatively recent invention, only dating back to the early 19th century.<\/p>\n

The answer to this question is not definitive, as there is no clear record of the ancient Romans celebrating Halloween. However, some historians believe that the festival of Pomona, which was celebrated by the Romans on November 1st, incorporated elements of modern-day Halloween, such as the carving of pumpkins and the decoration of homes with autumnal plants.<\/p>\n

How did the Romans celebrate Halloween? <\/h2>\n

The Lemuralia or Lemuria was an annual event in the religion of ancient Rome, during which the Romans performed rites to exorcise any malevolent and fearful ghosts of the restless dead from their homes. These unwholesome spectres, the lemures or larvae, were propitiated with chants and offerings of black beans.<\/p>\n

The Roman parallel to Halloween is known as Lemuria. Lemuria was an annual feast which took place on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May, where Romans would exorcise malevolent spirits and evils out of their homes. The restless spirits were offered beans and salted flour cake, prepared from the first wheat of the season.<\/p>\n

Who originally celebrated Halloween <\/h3>\n