Halloween originated over 2000 years ago among Celtic populations in Ireland, England, and France who celebrated Samhain at the end of harvest season. They believed spirits of the dead returned to Earth and people wore costumes to avoid being recognized as spirits. The Christian church influenced Halloween traditions by establishing All Saints' Day on November 1st, and people began participating in trick-or-treating, going door-to-door for food and money. Halloween traditions spread to America in the 1800s through Irish immigrants and incorporated the use of pumpkins instead of turnips for jack-o-lanterns.

1. Halloween

2. Origins
• Halloween began two
thousand years ago in
Ireland, England, and
Northern France with the
ancient religion of the Celts
(Paganism).

3. Celebration of New Year on November 1st
• This day marked the beginning of the dark, cold
winter, a time of year that was often associated with
human death.
• On the night of October 31, they celebrated
Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the
dead returned to earth.

4. Costumes
• People thought that they would encounter
ghosts if they left their homes…
• This way, the ghosts couldn’t recognize them!

5. The Christian influence
• As the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands, in
the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints'
Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the Pagan
festival of Samhain. It was observed on May 13th.
• In 834, Pope Gregory III moved All Saint's Day to Nov.
1st. Oct. 31st became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means
'saint').
• In catholic church the Soul day is November 2nd.

6. Trick or Treating
• During the All Souls Day festival in England, poor people
would beg for “soul cakes,” made out of square pieces of bread
with currants
• This tradition was eventually taken up by children who would
visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given food, and
money.
• Today…Sweets.

7. In America
• In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants poured into America.
They brought with them their traditions of Halloween.
• They called Halloween Oidche Shamhna (`Night of
Samhain'), and kept the traditions.
• The Irish used to carry turnips with candles in them to
light their way at night and to scare away ghosts..In
America they used pumpkins.