Halloween’s History

When did we start celebrating spooky season?

Halloween, celebrated every 31st October, has roots stretching back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-in”), marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. The Celts, who lived in what is now Ireland, the UK, and northern France, believed that on the night before the new year, 1st November, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred. Ghosts could return to earth, so people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off spirits.

In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated 1st November as All Saints' Day, also called All Hallows. The evening before became All Hallows' Eve, shortened to "Halloween."

Halloween reached America with European immigrants, particularly the Irish fleeing the potato famine in the 1840s. They brought traditions like carving turnips into lanterns, later swapped for pumpkins, which were plentiful in the New World.

Trick-or-treating evolved from "souling" and "guising," where the poor went door to door offering prayers or performances in exchange for food. By the 20th century, Halloween had become a community celebration focused on costumes, sweets, and spooky fun. Today, Halloween blends ancient Celtic and Christian spirituality into a night of mischief, merriment, and a little bit of magic.