Halloween have its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”).
The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops.
The festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area.
Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them.
This question is from our HalloweenMagazine.com FAQ page. See more there as well as dozens of Halloween articles such as Have a Frightful Night , A Wizard’s Halloween Party , and Using Your Box of Old Halloween Decorations in our Halloween Articles section.
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