The History of Halloween & Scary Pumpkins

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Historians link Halloween in America to the Celtic Festival of Samhain. That name is from Old Irish and it means roughly “summer’s end.”  That festival celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and the beginning of the “darker half.”  The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the other world became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family’s ancestors were honored and invited home while harmful spirits were warded off. The need to ward off harmful spirits is most likely what led to wearing costumes and masks. Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and stock-up for winter. Perhaps that was the impetus for collecting treats on Halloween. In Celtic Halloween festivals large turnips were hollowed out, carved with faces and placed in windows to ward off evil spirits. In the US pumpkins were used instead of turnips most likely because they tend to grow larger and are easier to carve. Ok, that’s all for now. Boo!