Evidence suggests that Halloween and the flood are linked by a certain fixation on the dead, death itself, and the occult. This link between the holiday and a celebration called the "day of the dead" is written about by Frank Humphrey. He wrote, "What is often overlooked, however, is that there is the remembrance of the 'Day of the Dead' followed by a New Year. This occurs on our (modern Roman-based) calendar at the end of October or the beginning of November" (The Great Flood and Halloween).
Day of the Dead
The link between the flood, Halloween and the day of the dead is worth noting. Many scholars believe the flood started around the fall of the year, specifically within the first two months of the Hebrew civil calendar. This two-month period corresponds, in our modern calendar, to mid-September to mid-November, which clearly includes the time when Halloween is celebrated.
The beginnings of Halloween may have begun shortly after the flood, when rebellious humans built a giant tower in a vain attempt to try and save themselves should the flood return! This tower existed in Babel (Babylon). God's solution to man's hard heart at Babel was to change the one language humans used into many (Genesis 11:1 - 2, 4 - 9), thus encouraging them to scatter!
Virtually every culture since the scattering of man at Babel has maintained (in one form or another) a legend of a "great flood." Often, the traditions that sprung from the legend are associated with a period known as "the day of death (the dead)" as well as a "new beginning." These traditions generally occur and are celebrated in the fall of the year.
How Widespread Is It?
In relation to when Halloween occurs, how widespread was (and is) a day dedicated to the dead celebrated? According to Humphrey's book, the ancient Assyrians had ceremonies for the souls of the dead during the mid-October through mid-November timeframe. In Egypt, Osiris' box or coffin, which floated on water for a year, was a distorted Egyptian memory of the Flood. This box was placed on water sometime between October and November each year (around the time of Halloween).
The ancient Peruvian Incas began their year in November with a celebration called Ayamarka, which concluded with the placing of food and beverages on the graves of the departed. Shadows of the fixation on death that is the core of Halloween can also be seen in the early Anglo-Saxon period known as the "November Blood Month." In India, the Hindu Durga celebration for those who have died was first tied to their New Year (which began in November).
Aboriginal Australians, each fall, put white colored stripes on both their legs and arms to symbolize a skeleton. In parts of Europe, November 2nd is celebrated as a day of the dead. In Wales and Scotland, early November is a time when ghosts are remembered, which is strikingly similar to the use of such "spirits" in Halloween celebrations.
Conclusion
Humphrey's conclusion regarding the link between the flood and this holiday is, "The legends cited . . . are found all over the world . . . yet they all have in common this remembrance of death . . . at the end of October and the beginning of November."
All the above are tantalizing clues as to the true origin of Halloween. It is entirely possible that the holiday is a perverted memorial to the people put to death in Noah's Flood.