who invented halloween

Halloween was originally invented as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain about 2,000 years ago. The Celts celebrated Samhain on October 31st as a way to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. They believed that on this night, the boundary between the living world and the spirit world thinned, allowing ghosts to return to Earth. To ward off these spirits, people lit bonfires and wore costumes. The festival also included the lighting of bonfires and other rituals to protect against evil spirits. Later, in the 8th century, the Christian Church under Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints' Day to honor all saints, which incorporated some traditions of Samhain. The evening before, known as All Hallows Eve, eventually became Halloween. Over time, this pagan festival merged with Christian traditions and evolved into the modern celebration of Halloween practiced today, including costume-wearing, trick-or-treating, and carving jack-o'-lanterns. Thus, Halloween's invention is credited to the ancient Celtic people through the Samhain festival, with later Christian influences shaping the holiday into its current form.