Ever wonder where the ghosts and witches of Halloween originated?
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. 2000 years ago, the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest. 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 Mother Earth. The Celts celebrated Samhain with bonfires, and sometimes donned animal costumes....
When the Christians conquered the Celts, they attempted to replace Samhain with All Saints Day (Nov 1st)--a day to honor Saints and Martyrs with bonfires and parades, but of course they could not totally stamp out the old religion---the ancient Celtic holiday lives on as our Halloween.
oh and--- One Quarter of all the candy sold annually in the US is for Halloween night....trick or treat anyone?
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