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Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic holiday Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which was celebrated in the Celtic region, now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. Originally, people in the area celebrated their new year on Nov. 1.
Celtic Druids, who believed spirits roamed around during the day before the holiday as it marked a season of death, used the night to call on them and make predictions about the coming year. They built large bonfires and people celebrated the event by dressing in animal heads and skins while attempting to tell fortunes themselves, but they also wore masks when leaving their homes at night to attempt to trick wandering spirits into believing they were lost souls themselves so the ghosts wouldn’t harm them.
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Later certain holidays were supplanted or blended together by the Catholic Church, which eventually led to the creation of the All Saints Day holiday, which was also called All-hallows. The day prior became known as All-hallows Eve, which evolved into Halloween over time.
The holiday continued to be celebrated once the pilgrims settled in America after coming over from England, but it gradually stepped back its focus on the wilder aspects and became more community and family-oriented.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that trick-or-treating as we know it came into fashion, resulting from an attempt to curb vandalism that arose during the holiday.
There are many other facts about the holiday that have faded from common knowledge — like how young women used the holiday to hunt down their future husbands — but no matter where its origins come from, there’s no denying that Halloween and all its spooky fun is here to stay.
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