Why is halloween celebrated?

 

Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated on the night of October 31. It is a time when people dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for candy. It is also a time when people play pranks on each other.

The history of Halloween goes back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts lived in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. They believed that on the night of October 31, the ghosts of the dead came back to earth. To celebrate Samhain, the Celts built huge bonfires. They burned crops and animals as sacrifices to the gods. They also wore costumes made of animal skins. The Romans conquered the Celts in 43 AD. They brought their own traditions to the festival. They added the custom of going door-to-door asking for food. This was called " begging." The early Christians tried to replace the pagan holiday of Samhain with All Saints' Day. All Saints' Day is a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church. It is celebrated on November 1. The church wanted to Christianize the pagan holiday and make it about saints, not ghosts. But the people did not want to give up their old traditions. So, they kept some of their old customs and blended them with the new Christian holiday. The custom of going door-to-door asking for food eventually became known as "trick-or-treating." People would dress up in costumes and go from house to house. If the homeowners gave them food, they would not play a trick on them. Halloween is now a fun holiday for children and adults. It is a time to dress up, eat candy, and play tricks on each other.