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Origins and Celebrations of Halloween

M ostly celebrated in North America, Halloween is a day children dress in costumes and go door-to-door in their neighborhoods “trick-or-treating” for candy. Homes and offices are decorated and parties are often thrown. Witches and ghosts are popular themes of the day. People also carve pumpkins known as jack-o’-lanterns. While today Halloween is a secular holiday mostly celebrated for fun, many of the traditions found in today’s popular Halloween celebrations can be traced back thousands of years through a long series of influences and cultures.

words to understand

Celts : Indigenous peoples of the British Isles and Galatia. Druids : Celtic priests and keepers of the community’s history. Folklorists : People who study the cultures, stories, legends, and beliefs of a specific group or culture.

t  The pre-Christian Celts celebrated Samhain, which is one of the earliest festivals honoring the dead. This costumed performer was part of a modern Samhain-inspired celebration in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Origins and Celebrations of Halloween n

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