What is Halloween and Why Do We Celebrate It?
What is Halloween and Why is It Celebrated? Halloween is that magical time of year when skeletons come out to party , candy magically disappears , and adults pretend they’re 12 again . But it’s more than just costumes, scary movies, and questionable decisions at haunted houses—it has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The Origins of Halloween Halloween began as the Celtic festival of Samhain , over 2,000 years ago in Ireland. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31 , the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to roam freely. Imagine ghosts walking through your neighborhood, but instead of being scary, they’re just judging your pumpkin carving skills . Halloween in Christianity When Christianity spread, All Hallows’ Eve became the night before All Saints’ Day (November 1). The church wanted people to honor saints and departed loved ones—basically turning a festival of wandering spirits into a slightly more polite version of g...