The Real Origins Of Halloween Are Wilder Than You'd Think

Happy Halloween week to all that get involved!From children trick-or-treating to Halloween club nights and movie marathons filled with all our spooky favourites, Halloween is the one holiday that’s incredibly fun and low-pressure, especially compared to other popular holidays like Christmas.But, where did this tradition start and why do we still celebrate it today? Besides putting our dogs in adorable costumes, is there still an importance to this eerie holiday?It all started with a Celtic holidayAccording to the History channel, Halloween most likely started around 2,000 years ago with a Celtic festival named ‘Samhain’ in an area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. This was a new year celebration, with the Celts welcoming a new year on November 1st.History channel explained: “This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.“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 earth.”That is great and suitably spooky but... what’s with the masks?Of course, dressing up is an essential part of Halloween for many of us, but how did that even start? Were we dressing up for our ancestors on their annual visit?Well... not so much. Britannica explained: “People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognised by the ghosts thought to be present.“It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day.”Obsessed.Related...Here's What Jack O' Lantern Really Stands For, And They're Named After A Person17 Celebs Who Went All Out With Their Halloween Costumes This YearNetflix And Chills: 20 Best Halloween Shows And Films To Treat Yourself To This Spooky Season

Comments

Breaking news

This Is How La Voix Accidentally Became Embroiled In The UK's Biggest Ever Jewels Heist

Huffpost uk

Comments

Breaking news

This Is How La Voix Accidentally Became Embroiled In The UK's Biggest Ever Jewels Heist

Why Do Cats Meow If Lions And Tigers Roar?

Farage And The Tories Accused Of 'Causing Small Boat Crisis' By Championing Brexit

Want To Poop Better? This Eating Change May Help, Says GI Surgeon

I'm A Doctor, These Are The Best (And Worst) Sweets To Give Trick-Or-Treaters

13 Fun Home Decor Buys To Bring Your Inner Child (And Your Next Dinner Party) Pure Joy

Humans are now evolving in a totally new way

Manchester synagogue attack victim ‘died from multiple stab wounds’

Putin tests ‘unstoppable’ underwater weapon that ‘can cause radioactive tsunamis’

Flight map shows plane going right into the eye of Hurricane Melissa

Prison officer ‘engaged in sex act’ with inmate in prayer room while others kept watch

Cute or terrifying? The new Neo robot housekeeper could be yours for £15,000

‘Hurricane Melissa isn’t a natural disaster – more needs to be done to call it what it is’

Pope condemns antisemitism and vows to fight it as tensions rise over Israel's war in Gaza

Rescue operations underway after 7-story building collapses in northwest Turkey

Food service is fuelling a greener future

How much does it cost to raise a child? An expert has crunched the numbers

Developing personal resilience in employees

Bridging and development finance still holding up, despite market uncertainty

Hurricane Melissa tracker: Where will storm head next after devastating Cuba and Jamaica?

Pakistan's Defense Minister warns Afghanistan of stern response to any new militant attacks

IDF drone video claims to show Hamas faking recovery of hostage body

Jamaica wakes up to devastation wreaked by Hurricane Melissa as death toll climbs

At least 10 dead as Vietnam battered by record rainfall and extreme flooding

Building resilience into the future of international assignments

US government allowed and even helped US firms sell tech used for surveillance in China, AP finds

Prosecutors seek 55-year jail terms for ‘Russian mobsters’ over plot to kill Iranian-American journalist

Adidas sales dip amid Trump tariffs and Yeezy backlash

What NFL fans think about the league's efforts to reduce injuries, according to a new poll

Roof torn off airport as Hurricane Melissa batters Jamaica

Trump says US-South Korea trade deal ‘pretty much finalised’ after hours of talks

Children in long-term workless households highest for nearly a decade

Trump raises eyebrows with awkward Narendra Modi impersonation during APEC speech

The quick and simple exercise that can cut your risk of heart problems

Reform MP admits ‘gaming the benefits system’ for PIP

Dutch voters head to polls as anti-Islam Wilders edges ahead in close election

President of Tanzania set for election win after rival candidates barred

The prison crisis that led to mistaken release of migrant sex offender

From beaches to ski slopes, photos show how cameras keep watch all over China

Trump insists Gaza ceasefire will hold after Israeli airstrikes kill ‘more than 100 people’ overnight

Police say Louvre defenses lagged as jewel-heist suspects near custody cutoff

Pound suffers further falls as UK’s fiscal troubles set to deepen

Holidaymakers in Jamaica describe scenes inside emergency shelter as Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc

Zero Waste Forum packs a punch in Istanbul

UK ‘second cities’ show strongest property yield growth for investors

France expected to adopt consent-based rape law in the wake of landmark Gisèle Pelicot case

UK to miss housing target by eight years

The growing use of bridging finance to prevent residential collapses

Smarter meeting spaces built on simplicity, trust, and intelligence

How product data foundations and embedded AI are a strategic advantage

Building trust in the software supply chain for retail

AI isn’t a magic bullet

Cultivating a continuous improvement mindset in F&B and consumer goods manufacturing

Groundbreaking new method could lead to earlier detection of Alzheimer’s

Deported migrant sex offender given £500 to leave UK

Eating cheese once a week could reduce risk of dementia, study finds

Trump uses fake Indian accent to impersonate India’s leader in rambling speech to Korean delegation

Mum's Side-Splitting Consent Chat With Her Teen Has A Message For All

The Real Origins Of Halloween Are Wilder Than You'd Think

Jennifer Lawrence Says Her 'Embarrassing' Interviews Were A 'Defence Mechanism'