Most researchers agree that the modern day holiday of Halloween originates from the Celtic New Year’s Festival of Samhain. Unlike modern day holiday Halloween that is on October 31st, the Celtic New Year’s celebration Samhain began on November 1st. The ancient Celts believed that on November 1st the veil was thinnest between the world of the living and the world of the dead and that those who had passed during the previous year would start moving into the afterlife or underworld.
Samhain––pronounced sow-in––is also referred to as All Hallows Eve, which is where we got the word for the current holiday Halloween, and most likely comes from the Celtic word “summer’s end”.
Unlike our current practices for Halloween, the Celts had different ways to celebrate Samhain or Halloween. One of those practices was to build huge bonfires in the hopes that sun would be encouraged not to disappear. Another practice was to dance around these bonfires, meant to keep any spirits of evil intent away. In an interesting twist of logic though, the Celts also left their front doors open in the hopes that loved ones would join them at their hearth. So, there was an …
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