Kids, candy and costumes may be the first thing that comes to mind for most of us as the end of October draws near. But like most holidays, Halloween’s roots are ancient, and its purpose is rich with meaning.

In honor of this ‘last harvest’ holiday, let’s have a numerological look at both its history and number profile…

Halloween

The word itself adds up to the number 5. More than that, five of the nine letters in “halloween” are also fives. As one of the more jovial and playful numbers, this makes sense for our modern-day moniker of the ancient holiday. “Halloween” is a time of playfulness, dress-up, being “in character” and other qualities that perfectly harmonize with the number five.

Five is also a youthful number, with qualities of hope, excitement and even adventure. Isn’t this exactly what children feel as they anticipate the Trick-or-Treats to come?

Samhain

Pronounce “sah-when,” this Celtic word has ancient roots in the Sacred Rites of old. Samhain, in the tradition of Irish Celts, was the time of the final harvest: when animals were slaughtered, then smoked or otherwise prepared to be stored in order to feed the family through the long months of winter.

Thus this holiday is directly associated with death, and Celts believed that this was the night when those who had passed returned to cause trouble.

The word ‘samhain’ is an 11-2. These indicate energies of mastery over self, as well as cooperation among the group. Mastery over self (the eleven energy) relates to overcoming the fear associated with death, by creating celebrations and sacrifices. Cooperation of the group during the harvest and celebrations – in order to ensure food for the winter and reduce the fear of dead spirits – is reflected in the two energy.

All Hallow’s Eve

This name for the ancient holiday of late autumn comes from the Christian era. Today we know, as with many other holidays, it was designed to replace the old pagan rites. All Hallow’s Eve is the time when “the veils between the world are thinnest” and loved ones who have gone beyond can contact their families.

“All Hallow’s Eve” is also known as “All Saints Day”. This name change included a change in focus: instead of honoring all the dead, only Saints were truly focused on, during this 2-day period.

Number 3 is the vibration of All Hallow’s Eve. This is the number of optimism and flow. The focus on ‘saintly’ types lines up with the three energy, as does the less fear-oriented quality of a “Holy” day.

Halloween, 2013

This year’s holiday adds up to the number 11/2 (10 + 31 + 2013 = 11/2). So here’s a question for you to contemplate as we roll into the dark days of late autumn:

What do you intend to Master (Number 11) through Cooperation with others/another (Number 2)?

Give it some thought then let us know in the comments below!

Boo! Happy Halloween from your friends at Numerologist.com