MAIN Home Life Holidays Halloween Halloween History

Trick or treating, bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, and eating lots of holiday treats are all a big part of a modern Halloween.

But where did all this scary stuff come from, and why do we celebrate all that is dark and frightening on October 31st?

To discover the origins of Halloween requires a quick trip back in time - to the days of the ancient Celts - when autumn's shorter days and longer nights conjured up long, ghostly shadows and feelings of fright.

To dispel the darkness, prehistoric European tribes would light huge bonfires, carve ugly faces out of gourds and turnips, or recite magic incantations, and thereby scare away the "evil spirits." With the passage of the centuries, similar ceremonies were part of more joyous autumn rites with the harvest moon lighting the night in celebration.

Today, traditional holidays such as Halloween and in Mexico's Day of the Dead keep the living in touch with the spirit world in ways which are both reassuring - and downright spooky!

Around the Web, learn more about the origins of today's Halloween celebrations - with a look at how ancient cultures found ways to dispel the 'spooks' of an oncoming winter - along with more on Halloween history, fun facts and trivia. ...


More about Halloween history around the Web:

The History of Halloween - A fun, popular read for kids of all ages, including origins and traditions, worldwide celebrations, favorite hauntings in American history and more Halloween fun facts from the History Channel.

Ben & Jerry's History of Halloween - The ice cream makers' site with lots of fun for kids but including this serious history that takes readers on a journey from the ancient Celts on up to the Festivals of the Dead celebrated around the world.

Samhain - The ancient Celtic holiday as the basis for Halloween, with descriptions of pagan rituals and beliefs including apple magic and the bonfires that blazed throughout a Celtic autumn.

Halloween in the Middle Ages - A good overview of the transformation from pagan to Christian beliefs in a brief history of how the ancient "All Hallows Eve" became the modern "Halloween."

History of Halloween: Myths, Monsters and Devils - A detailed discussion tracing the holiday's roots back to Celtic tradition, along with Christian/humanist wonderings on good vs. evil, and other thought-provoking ideas for a night around the campfire.

Halloween History: The Real Origins - A bit more strident discussion on Halloween's supposed evil influences in a self-admitted "work of amateur scholarship", but well-researched including related links to off-the-beaten-track resources.

also see -> Haunted Houses | Halloween History Has Ancient Roots

A History of the Horror Film