Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. On October 31st, the Celts believed the boundary between the living and dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to cross over. They would dress in costumes and make noise to confuse the spirits. The traditions of dressing in costumes and trick-or-treating evolved from European customs associated with honoring the dead. Carving pumpkins comes from an Irish folk tale where a man carried an ember inside a hollowed-out turnip to light his way.