This Month In History

When you think of October, you might think of candy or haunted houses but everyone thinks of Halloween. Halloween dates back about 2,000 years ago and originated in Ireland and U.K. as a festival known as Samhain by the Celtics. The festival was celebrated because it indicated the last day of summer and the beginning of winter. The Celts also believed on that day, the dead would come back as ghosts to earth. In 43 A.D., the Roman Empire conquered the Celtics land, causing the Festival to almost perish. On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Gregory the III expanded the Celtics Festival back into Christian lands making it popular again. 

By the 1800’s the Tradition of Halloween came to America and it was a mix of the Native Americans beliefs and the Americans which consist of ghost stories and dressing up. In the early 19th century, Irish and English immigrants came to America, making the new tradition for Halloween people dressing up and going to people's houses for food and money, this event is now known as Trick or Treating. By 1920, America celebrated Halloween with traditions such as parades, pumpkin carving, and the big one, Trick or Treating. Even though the U.S. don’t consider Halloween a national holiday, it’s still celebrated by many Americans.