The Celts celebrated Samhain 2000 years ago on November 1st as the start of their new year. On the evening of October 31st, they believed the veil between the living and dead worlds was thinnest and souls of the dead could visit earth. The Celts built bonfires, wore animal skins, and tried to tell fortunes in celebration. They relit home fires with torches from the bonfires, hoping for protection through the winter and new year.

3. The History of
Halloween
Another name for the
holiday we call Halloween
is Samhain. Going back
2000 years, the Celts, who
inhabited the areas of the
United Kingdom, Ireland
and northern France
celebrated November 1st
at the first day of the new
year. On the evening
before the new year,
October 31st, the Celts
believe that the veil
between the worlds of the
it’s living and the dead.

4. They called
that day , and felt
that on that night the souls
of the dead could return to
earth. As well as those
spirits causing mischief for
the living, the Celts also
believed that the thinness
of the veil made it easier
for their priests, the
Druids, to make
predictions for the future.

5. These predictions were a
great source of comfort to
the Celts during the long,
hard winter. In celebration
of Samhain, the Celts built
large bonfires to burn
crops and animals as
sacrifices to their gods. In
honor of the occasion, the
Celts wore costumes,
mostly consisting of
animal skins and heads,
and tried to tell each other’
s fortunes. When the
celebration was over, they
would re-ignite their
previously doused hearth
fires with torches lit from
the sacred bonfire, to help
protect them through the
coming winter and the
beginning of their new
year.