how did halloween start

Halloween began as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, observed by communities in Britain and Ireland around the time of the autumn harvest. It marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest. People lit bonfires to ward off roaming spirits and wore costumes to disguise themselves from ghosts and other supernatural beings. Over time, Christian influences blended with these older traditions: All Saints’ Day was established on November 1st, and the night before—October 31st—came to be known as All Hallows’ Eve, later Halloween. The fusion of Samhain practices with All Saints’ observances helped spread Halloween to other parts of Europe and, later, to North America through Irish and Scottish emigrants, where it evolved into the modern secular celebration known for costumes, trick-or- treating, and pumpkin carving.