Long before carved pumpkins and trick-or-treaters filled the streets, Halloween began with a fire.
Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-in), marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark half of the year. The Celts believed that on this night — October 31st — the boundary between the world of the living and the realm of the dead grew thin. Spirits were thought to walk among the living, bringing omens, blessings, or mischief. To ward off harm, people lit great bonfires, wore disguises, and left offerings of food for wandering souls.
When Christianity spread across Europe, the Church reinterpreted the pagan festival as All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day (November 1). Over time, “All Hallows’ Eve” became “Halloween.”
As centuries passed, Halloween evolved — blending ancient rituals with newer traditions. Immigrants from Ireland and Scotland brought their customs to America in the 19th century. Pumpkins replaced turnips for carving lanterns, and the idea of going door to door — first for prayers, later for sweets — gave rise to the beloved “trick-or-treat.”
Today, Halloween is a vibrant mix of ancient beliefs, community celebration, and creative expression. Children dress as heroes or monsters, homes glow with jack-o’-lanterns, and stories of ghosts and legends come alive once again.
Yet, beneath the fun and festivity, Halloween still carries echoes of its origins — a time to honor change, remember the past, and acknowledge the mystery that connects us all.
Some say the veil never truly closes. That for one night each year, the past breathes again — not in the bonfires or the costumes, but in the quiet moments between laughter and silence.
So when the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, and you hear a whisper in the dark — don’t be afraid. It might just be an old spirit, still walking home.
When the veil thins, the walls between worlds shudder — and something waits in the shadows, watching you breathe.
