Today’s vision of Halloween is of children dressing up in fancy dress costumes and masks, knocking on doors and extorting sweets from kindly neighbours who would rather avoid the “tricks” being threatened by the local “demons”. But where did all this come from?

Celtic Origins

Halloween is said to originate from a Celtic celebration, Samhain” (pronounced sah-wen or sow-in), that took place around 2,000 years ago in the region now covered by the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The modern name, traditionally spelt Hallowe’en, is an abbreviated form of “All Hallows Eve”, the evening before the festival of All Hallows, a Christian holiday that commemorated the passing of saints and martyrs.

The pagan festival of Samhain celebrated the Celtic New Year which started on 1st November, dividing the Lighter Half of the Year from the Darker Half. It was believed that at Samhain, the boundary between the living and dead became blurred. It was a time to honour passed spirits, both good and bad. Folks would dress up in costumes and masks, disguising themselves as harmful spirits in order to protect themselves.

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