Why Do We Celebrate Halloween

Every year on October 31st many people celebrate halloween by dressing up, trick or treating, and having parties. But how did this day come to exist? Halloween traces back all the way to around 2,000 years ago to the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. During this festival the Celtics would have bonfires and dress up to ward off ghosts. Halloween used to be known as hallows eve because it is the evening before Saints day. Saints day was created by Pope Gregory III to honor all saints. Trick-or-treating in America didn’t start until WWII but, around Thanksgiving kids would go door to door asking for food kind of like the practice of mumming which is where people would disguise themselves and go door to door asking for food. Today Halloween is just a day to dress up, trick or treat, and party.