By: Isabela Picanço (Grade 1)

Halloween is a popular party that celebrates the deaths and has its origin in oldests Celtic rituals. At this time, the Celts believed that the spirits of the dead returned to visit their homes and that hauntings appeared to curse their crops. To protect themselves from these beings, they wore masks, costumes and lanterns made from turnips.

With the expansion of Christianity, the Church tried to eliminate pagan practices and transformed Samhain into Saints’ Eve, called All Hallows’ Eve in English, which was later shortened to Halloween. The tradition of Halloween was brought by Irish immigrants to the United States in the 19th century, where it gained popularity and mixed with other cultures. There, pumpkins replaced turnips as the typical party lanterns, and the custom of children asking for sweets at houses by saying “trick or treat” emerged.

Today, Halloween is a holiday in the United States and is celebrated in several countries around the world, with different customs and symbols.

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