- Halloween is a pre-Christian ancient Irish Celtic celebration called Samhain (pronounced sow-hen).
- Samhain celebrates the time of year between summer and winter when spirits pass through to the ‘next life’, and the living and dead can sometimes cross paths again.
- Samhain was celebrated November 1st. People would leave food on their doorsteps as offering for the ghostly dead.
- People wore costumes to disguise themselves to better blend in between the living and wandering ghosts.
- In the 8th century the Christian church hijacked the Samhain celebration and renamed it All Saints Day, also known as All Hollows. The night before All Hollows became Halloween.
- When Irish and Scottish immigrants moved to America and Canada in the 1800s, they brought the Halloween traditions with them which later became trick-or-treat.
- Pumpkins (or turnip) lanterns welcome familiar spirits of the dead and keep evil spirits away.
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