As we know, Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday throughout the world. I bet that when you think of this fun-filled holiday, you think of things like trick-or-treating, costumes, and spooky decorations. Do you ever ponder why this holiday exists with its related traditions? Halloween is so much more than what we consider. Believe it or not, the origin of Halloween traces back thousands of years to ancient Celtic traditions. The Celts lived about 2,000 years ago in present-day Ireland. The Celtic festival, Samhain, was celebrated on November 1, which is also when they celebrated their new year. They considered the Samhain to be their transition from summer days to the cold days of winter. On this day, the Celts believed that spirits of the dead roamed the Earth. This festival consisted of people lighting bonfires and wearing a variety of costumes so that ghosts or spirits would avoid them. The costume wearing has evolved into the modern-day tradition of wearing costumes on Halloween. Along with this, the Celts would leave out offerings of food and drinks for the returning spirits to hopefully ensure good fortune for their upcoming year, which we can see modernized today through trick or treating. 

Now you might be wondering, “Where did the word Halloween originate?”

Throughout time, these customs began to join with Christianity as Samhain was included in the Christian calendar as All Saint’s Day or All Hallows Day on November 1. October 31, the day before, became known as All Hallows Eve, which eventually began Halloween.

As immigrant groups arrived in the United States, Halloween evolved in a variety of ways. For instance, our present-day pumpkin carving has replaced the carving of things like turnips and potatoes, which was done by people in Ireland during the 1800s.

Today, Halloween is celebrated by so many people around the world all because of the ancient Celtic traditions and other customs. This holiday gives people a chance to show their creativity, eat sweet treats, and participate in enjoyable activities. So, the next time you see something spooky in your neighbor’s window or you buy candy at CVS in the fall, you can think about the history that contributed to the holiday so many of us know and love.