Halloween comes from an ancient pagan holiday.
Halloween has its roots in an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain, traditionally celebrated in Ireland and Scotland on the night of October 31 each year. It was believed that on that night, the separation between the living world and the world of the dead broke down, allowing for interaction with the Celtic “Otherworld,” the realm of the spirits. Traditional Samhain celebrations centered around fire: The hearth was lit while the harvest was gathered, and it was left to burn out on its own. If the hearth was put out by hand, it was thought to anger the gods. Afterward, a bonfire was held to honor the dead, and people would take flame from the fire to relight the hearth at home. Celebrants would also dress up in costumes and disguises during Samhain so that evil spirits returning to Earth would not be able to recognize them. Hollowed-out root vegetables with candles inside, a precursor to jack-o’-lanterns, were used in part to scare off evil spirits, as well as to guide the way home after the Samhain celebration.