Halloween Wasn’t Always Like This!

When someone says the word "Halloween" - the first thoughts that come into most of our heads are, trick-or-treating, candy, costumes, parties, etc.  The holiday has grown quite a bit, however, as time has passed.

Halloween is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today.  It's one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas.  While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating.

October 31st is the last day of the Celtic calendar.  It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead.  Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve, and dates back to over 2000 years ago.  All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st.

Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe.  Halloween roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.  The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night.  Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful.  This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

So when you're eating all of your kid's candy tonight - remember that you have the Celts to thank!