Hallowmas, one of the world's oldest holidays, is
celebrated around the world with a variety of somber,
spooky and fun traditions.

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic
festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts,
who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now
Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France,
celebrated their new year on November 1. This day
marked the end of summer and the harvest and the
beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year
that was often associated with human death. Celts
believed that on the night before the new year, the
boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead
became blurred. On the night of October 31 they
celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the
ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to
causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that
the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it
easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make

Download (4936 KB) Website Link to this page