<P> In parts of Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation as some Protestants berated purgatory as a "popish" doctrine incompatible with their notion of predestination . Thus, for some Nonconformist Protestants, the theology of All Hallows' Eve was redefined; without the doctrine of purgatory, "the returning souls cannot be journeying from Purgatory on their way to Heaven, as Catholics frequently believe and assert . Instead, the so - called ghosts are thought to be in actuality evil spirits . As such they are threatening ." Other Protestants maintained belief in an intermediate state, known as Hades (Bosom of Abraham), and continued to observe the original customs, especially souling, candlelit processions and the ringing of church bells in memory of the dead . Mark Donnelly, a professor of medieval archæology, and historian Daniel Diehl, with regard to the evil spirits, on Halloween, write that "barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from the effect of witches, who were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the earth ." In the 19th century, in some rural parts of England, families gathered on hills on the night of All Hallows' Eve . One held a bunch of burning straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him in a circle, praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out . This was known as teen'lay . The rising popularity of Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) from 1605 onward, saw many Halloween traditions appropriated by that holiday instead, and Halloween's popularity waned in Britain, with the noteworthy exception of Scotland . There and in Ireland, they had been celebrating Samhain and Halloween since at least the early Middle Ages, and the Scottish kirk took a more pragmatic approach to Halloween, seeing it as important to the life cycle and rites of passage of communities and thus ensuring its survival in the country . </P> <P> In France, some Christian families, on the night of All Hallows' Eve, prayed beside the graves of their loved ones, setting down dishes full of milk for them . On Halloween, in Italy, some families left a large meal out for ghosts of their passed relatives, before they departed for church services . In Spain, on this night, special pastries are baked, known as "bones of the holy" (Spanish: Huesos de Santo) and put them on the graves of the churchyard, a practice that continues to this day . </P> <P> Lesley Bannatyne and Cindy Ott both write that Anglican colonists in the Southern United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland "recognized All Hallow's Eve in their church calendars", although the Puritans of New England maintained strong opposition to the holiday, along with other traditional celebrations of the established Church, including Christmas . Almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was widely celebrated in North America . It was not until mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in North America . Confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-19th century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it was being celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds . "In Cajun areas, a nocturnal Mass was said in cemeteries on Halloween night . Candles that had been blessed were placed on graves, and families sometimes spent the entire night at the graveside". </P> <P> Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time . Jack - o' - lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows' Eve in order to frighten evil spirits . There is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack - o' - lantern, which in folklore is said to represent a "soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell": </P>

When was halloween first celebrated in the us
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