Halloween wasn’t always Halloween. It was first called Samhain which is  a Celtic festival still celebrated by pagans meaning “summer’s end.” 

Samhain, or Halloween is a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and dead are at its thinnest. 


People get lost on the other side. Ghosts get lost among us.

So, back in the day people dressed up in disguises as to not be identified as human.

 Costumes were essential to ward off evil spirits.

As for the word Halloween--- When the Christians were trying to convert the pagans, they moved their All Hallows Day to November, the day after halloween, in an attempt to squash Samhain festivities. Therefore, Halloween became All Hallows Eve.

 Halloween is a variant of All Hallows Evening, which, on Oct. 31, is the day before All Hallows Day on Nov. 1. This was shortened to All Hallows Even, and then the “v” was dropped to All Hallows E’en. It’s not a big jump to see how that got to Halloween.

Pumpkins were not always associated with Halloween. Initially, turnips were used. Pumpkins replaced them because they are easier to carve than turnips. 


Trick-or-treating,is derived from the Middle Ages, when the poor would go door-to-door  on All Hallows Day asking for food before All Souls Day, Nov. 2.