BOO! Did you know Halloween started as an old festival called Samhain (pronounced SOW-in)? Long ago, people in Scotland and Ireland celebrated Samhain to mark the end of the summer and the beginning of winter. They believed this was a special time when the world changed from bright summer days to dark, cold winter days!
Before we dive in, what were you for Halloween? I was an angel!
Today, Halloween is full of costumes, pumpkins and trick-or-treating. But some of these traditions are connected to hundreds-of-years-old Samhain celebrations. Let's travel back in time to see how people celebrated!
I learned about Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival in Scotland and Ireland. Today, people celebrate with big bonfires, special foods and fun games. Some people dress up in costumes to protect themselves from spirits they believed might wander around on this special night.
One interesting Scottish tradition I saw was carving faces into turnips and putting candles in them. These were called tumshies! These were used before pumpkins became popular Halloween decor. People also hung out around fires and told stories together. These traditions helped inspire the Halloween celebrations we know and love today!
