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🎃History of Halloween🎃 Halloween (the contraction of All Hallows' Eve) dates back to folk customs from Celtic-speaking countries, some of which have pagan roots. Some historians date the origins as far back as the Roman feast of Parentalia, the festival of the dead. The most accepted origin was the Celtic festival of Samhain, which is Old Irish for 'summer's end'. Samhain was celebrated from October 31 through November 1 in Ireland & Scotland. The festival marked the end of harvest season and beginning of the 'darker half' of the year. Similar to other cultures, this time of year was seen as when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned, where spirits and fairies could easily come into this world. In 19th century Ireland, candles would be lit and prayers offered for the souls of the dead. The earliest origins of trick-or-treating was guising in Ireland in the 16th century, where people would go house-to-house in costume (or disguise), reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. This may originate from people impersonating souls of the dead. The custom of making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween goes back to Ireland in the 19th century, where turnips tended to be the popular vegetable of choice. The lanterns were said to represent spirits or supernatural beings, even to ward off evil spirits. The Christian influence on the holiday dates back to the early days of the church, where All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls' Day (Nov. 2) were feasts were had to honor saints and pray for the recently departed souls who'd yet reached heaven. In 835, All Hallows' Day (aka All Saints' Day) was moved to November 1, the same day as Samhain, the Celtic counterpart. All Hallows' Eve arrived in North America in the southern British colonies and Maryland, though Puritans in New England maintains strong opposition to the holiday, including other celebrations such as Christmas. It would be in the 19th century, with the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants that Halloween became a major holiday in North America. In the over century since, many more activities have become tied to Halloween, such as bobbing for apples, nut roasting, and more. Today, Halloween is celebrated around the world, spreading beyond its Celtic and Christian origins. Trick-or-Treating, apple bobbing, pranks, and haunted attractions continue to be popular.