Today we’ll look back on some of the history behind Halloween!
Samhain (Old Irish for “summer’s end”) is often considered to be one of the oldest precursors to Halloween. It’s a traditional Gaelic festival first documented around the 10th century. It is believed modern Jack-o’-lanterns were inspired by a Samhain custom. People would hollow out turnips and carve faces into them to use as lanterns at night.
Samhain was a festival to prepare for winter. It lasted from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. Huge bonfires were lit as a cleansing ritual, crops were harvested and stored, and animals were moved to winter pastures. It was a celebration to hold people through the long, cold days to come.
