Copyright republicworld
Halloween, the spooky festival, will be observed on October 31. The day marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. It is the time of year when the pumpkins are ready, people dress in the haunting yet quirky costumes, fake blood smeared on the face, and children knock on neighbours' doors for trick or treat. But, have you ever wonder why do people celebrate dead, darkness and creeps?According to the publication of Britannica, Halloween's root goes back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was observed on November 1. That day, it was believed that there were no boundaries between the living and the dead and humans and gods grew thin. The occasion was fraught with danger as the gods played tricks on their mortal worshippers and supernatural episodes abounded. People dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off wandering spirits and divine, malevolent acts. Those mystical rituals helped give modern Halloween its cast of classic characters, such as witches, ghosts, goblins, and other things that go bump in the night and the now lighthearted practice of dressing up.After centuries, the Christian church layered its own traditions on top of Samhain. In the 17th century CE, Pope Boniface IV created All Saints Day as a holy day on May 13. A century later, Pope Gregory III moved the holiday to November 1, likely as a Christian substitute for the pagan festival. The evening before the saintly celebration became known as All Hallows' Eve, which was eventually shortened to Halloween.Though the holiday began in Celtic regions of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, it eventually spread to other parts of the world.READ MORE: Halloween 2025: Know Date, Significance, History And How To Celebrate The Spooky FestivalAt this festival, people host costume parties, play special games like bobbing for apples and tell ghost stories.Sometimes children go "trick or treating", which means knocking on doors in their trusted neighbourhoods to collect candies.Many people also make lamps out of pumpkins by carving faces on them and putting a candle inside, and hanging them outside their house. People believe that it would scare away bad spirits and ghosts.
