Halloween is the day when everyone gets dressed up and has fun. Although Halloween is fun, it is also a night when you must be very careful. This world now is very dangerous. In this case, getting candy from people’s houses or even walking outside at night can be a threat. Halloween is a holiday that many people know for the jack-o-lanterns and trick or treating, but not many people have pondered the origins of Halloween. According to History.com, the history of Halloween goes back thousands of years to a Celtic festival. Through the years, it’s changed.

Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31; the backstory of this tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts to prevent them from coming or from harming anyone.

Pope Gregory designated November 1st as a time to honor all saints in the eighth century. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some traditions like celebrating loved ones that have passed by, lighting candles, and sending prayers or blessings for them on Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later became Halloween. Volunteers would dress in costumes and perform dances to scare off the spirits in exchange for food and drink, where the “trick” part of “trick-or-treat” was born. Around the same time, those in need of food would go door-to-door and ask for soul cakes.

In the Middle Ages, statues and relics of martyred saints were paraded through the streets at Allhallowtide. Some churches that could not afford these religious artifacts had people dressed as saints instead. Some believers continue the practice of dressing as saints, biblical figures, and reformers in Halloween celebrations today.

But where did the black cats come from? In medieval times, witches were believed to disguise themselves as black cats to hide. The idea then evolved, creating the superstition that seeing a black cat was bad luck.

Finally, there is the history of the jack-o-lantern. The Irish had a story about Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil into paying for an object he wanted. When he died, he was forced to roam the world for eternity. The Irish started to carve demonic faces on turnips to try and scare away Jack’s soul. When Irish immigrants moved to the New World, they carved faces on pumpkins because pumpkins were native to that region.

Having fun on Halloween is essential, but staying safe is required for trick or tricking. Not only that, but respecting the traditions of Halloween night is very important, because everyone celebrates differently. Hopefully, you enjoy this Halloween and celebrate a few of the old traditions of this spooky holiday.