Boo! It’s that time of year again: Halloween! Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a lot of fun to dress up, eat candy and have fun with your friends. This year, I’ll be dressing up as Sophie Foster from Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. What about you?
Halloween has an incredible history. It all started with a Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced Sah-win). The Celtics believed that at the end of Summer (when Samhain happened), the ghosts of the dead came back to Earth.
Scared of the haunting spirits, the Celtics would dress up in scary costumes to ward off the ghosts. They would light bonfires, and wear costumes for protection. In the 700s (8th Century AD), All Saints Day was declared by Pope Gregory lll. On November 1st, everyone would honor saints.
The day before All Saints’ Day was called All Hallows Eve. This name was chosen, because All Saints Day was also known as All Hallows Day. The night before, or the “eve” before, was called All Hallows Eve.
Nowadays, kids dress up in all kinds of fun costumes and go from door to door, shouting “Trick-or-Treat!” all night long. This Halloween, let’s all get ready to have some fun.
Happy Halloween!
The Lighthouse 