Background of Halloween

Halloween's origins date back to the 8th century the beginning of All Saints Day, when Pope Gregory III, quote, “designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints”. This early tradition derived from the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain, when the local tribes would wear scary costumes to supposedly ward off ghosts. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. The tradition would cross the “pond” when American colonists (mostly Puritans primarily from England; an empire that celebrated Samhain) settled on the East Coast. Over time, Halloween became the popular American holiday that we know today.