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from harvesting the crops. But the fires were also seen as a way to scare off the evil spirits, and were often stoked further with the bones from animals slaughtered either as food for the winter or as sacrifices to the gods. Some historians also believe people would intentionally put out the everyday fires in the fireplaces of their homes and relight them later from the great bonfires, which they viewed as sacred and as a way to protect themselves over the winter. The idea was that the spiritual power of the bonfire would be transferred to the home fire. The supernatural nature of this holiday

Stoking the Fire Farm animals were often slaughtered during the celebration of Samhain to provide food for the winter months. The bones from these animals were thrown together and burned along with sticks and unused remains of crops, creating a huge bone-fire. Many peo- ple believe that as a result of this practice, any large fire came to be known as bonfire .

was also believed to allow the Celtic priests, known as druids , to see into the future and predict events to come. These holy people were very important to the Celts, and their predictions pertained to individuals as well as to the fortunes of the entire tribe.

t Children dressed for Halloween trick-or-treat in the Philippines.

Origins and Celebrations of Halloween n

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