Can’t think of October without thinking of Halloween.

     The origin of Halloween can be traced to the festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in, which rhymes with cow-in), meaning summer’s end. The ancient Gaelic festival celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of the “dark half” of the year.

     The ancient Celts believed that the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest during Samhain. This was an ideal time to communicate with the dead. The Celts also believed that ghosts could pass through the veil and damage their crops. So they built huge bonfires to ward off the spirits.

     In later years, the Irish used hollowed-out, candlelit turnips carved with a demon’s face to frighten away spirits. They brought this idea with them to the United States, where they used pumpkins instead of turnips. Thank goodness for that!

     When the Romans took over some of the Celt lands, they borrowed some of the traditions, too. Including that Samhain celebration. Who wouldn’t! Bonfires, dancing in the moonlight, enjoying a bit of the harvest.

     Now fast forward to the Roman Catholic Church, which changed up the whole holiday, creating All-Hallows Eve, and All Saints’ Day, and eventually All Souls’ Day. Halloween is part of a trilogy, or trinity, of celebrations.

     And the whole tradition made it to the U.S., where we enjoy parties, trick-or-treating, scary movies, and trying to spook our friends! Oh, and honor the Saints and the Souls. Can’t forget them.