A brief dive into Halloween and its Celtic roots

Halloween is approaching and is celebrated in different countries. However, not many know the origins of the spooky festival.

A Brief Origin of Halloween

Identical to ghosts and evil spirits, how did Halloween start? Halloween has its roots in the Samhain festival celebrated by the ancient Celts in England and Ireland. This festival is part of the Christian tradition to commemorate the saints and the spirits of those who have died.

At that time, approximately 2,000 years ago, it was believed that many evil spirits would reappear on earth to roam and disturb the Celts. Therefore, to scare away evil spirits, the Celts used to light bonfires on hilltops. Not only that, but they also use scary masks and costumes.

Three Main Halloween Symbols

Trick or treat

Halloween symbols and celebrations in the United States are often done with children going around the neighborhood at night asking for candy by saying “trick or treat”. Scotland and Ireland also observe the same tradition where children go around from house to house while wearing costumes to get cakes, fruits or even money.

Jack-O-Lantern

Carving a pumpkin with a spooky expression and placing a candle inside is a common Halloween symbol. The character of Jack-O-Lantern is said to be a spirit that roams while carrying a lantern. In addition, Jack-O-Lantern is also believed to be a trapped spirit that cannot enter hell or even heaven because of his sins.

Wearing spooky costumes in disguise

A long time ago, the Celts wore costumes in order to make the wandering spirits think they were one of them while others wore costumes of animal heads and skins to ward off evil spirits. Wearing ghost-themed costumes intended to protect people from spirits by impersonating the identity of a dead person.

Halloween costumes began to evolve from year to year. Nowadays, Halloween has transformed into a form of industrialism where Halloween doesn’t have to be spooky. Most people today dress up like fictional characters or resemble public figures around the world. But, you can still find people wearing scary costumes like the Celtic tradition that was carried out decades ago.