| Halloween is full of costumes and candy, | | | | away. |
| trick-or-treating and terrifying haunted houses, | | | | Another possibility that may have grown into |
| pumpkins and black cats. But just where did | | | | "Trick-Or-Treating" is the tradition of people |
| Halloween come from? Why are we celebrating? | | | | leaving bowls of food in front of their homes. |
| The history of Halloween goes back 2000 years. | | | | They did this to keep the ghosts that were |
| Many believe that Halloween's origins are found in | | | | wandering the earth from entering. |
| the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts, who | | | | Dressing in costumes has a couple possible origins. |
| were located in Ireland, the UK and the northern | | | | European and Celtic people both felt winter was a |
| parts of France, celebrated their New Year on the | | | | frightening time. It was cold, it was darker, and |
| first of November. Samhain was celebrated the | | | | the possibility of running out of food was great. |
| night before the New Year. | | | | When they reached the time when they thought |
| The New Year, Celts believed, marked summer's | | | | the dead returned, they thought they might |
| end, harvest time, and the start of dark, cold | | | | encounter these ghosts whenever they left their |
| winter months. Those winter months were | | | | houses. The wearing of masks and costumes |
| associated with death by these people. On | | | | grew from these people donning masks so the |
| October 31, the night before the New Year, the | | | | ghosts would not recognize them! |
| Celts celebrated Samhain. This day, they believed, | | | | This holiday was brought to the US by Scotch |
| was when the ghosts of the deceased returned | | | | and Irish immigrants in the 1800s. At that time, |
| to earth because the boundaries between the | | | | much of the "spookiness" of the holiday was |
| living world and the dead world blurred. | | | | removed and a sense of community and fun |
| When we think of "Trick-Or-Treating", the origins | | | | were added. Although scary themes are still the |
| can probably be found in the English All Souls' Day | | | | focus of many Halloween celebrations, that |
| parades. During these celebrations, the poor would | | | | scariness is done for fun, not because of actual |
| come out and beg for food from the more | | | | fear. |
| wealthy families. When the families gave them | | | | Halloween is currently the 2nd largest commercial |
| pastries called "soul cakes", they asked for the | | | | holiday! |
| poor to pray for their relatives that had passed | | | | |