Do you really know? Why do we celebrate Halloween?
Oct 31, 2025
Discover the ancient roots of Halloween in the Celtic festival of Samhain, where the living and the dead intersected. Learn how All Saints Day was strategically moved by the Church to align with pagan traditions. Uncover the origins of trick-or-treating from British soul-cake begging. Explore how Irish and Scottish immigrants transformed Halloween in the U.S., overcoming early resistance. Finally, enjoy the evolution of costumes from holy figures to the spooky styles we know today!
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Origins In The Celtic Samhain
- Halloween traces back over a thousand years to the Celtic festival Samhain, when Celts believed the dead returned on Nov 1.
- They lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off spirits, blending pagan ritual with later Christian observance.
Christian Calendar Absorbed Pagan Practices
- In the 8th century, the Church moved All Saints Day to Nov 1 partly to appropriate Celtic traditions.
- The name evolved from All Hallows Eve to Halloween as religious and folk practices merged.
Understand Trick-or-Treat Roots
- If you wonder where trick-or-treating came from, trace it to British poor traditions of going door-to-door for soul cakes.
- Think of modern trick-or-treating as a transformed form of begging that added playful threats for refusal.