Dating back to 2,000 years in Ireland, before being conquered by the English in 1169, Ireland’s pagan beliefs were widespread. Samhain (pronounced Saa-wn) was the first day of the “darker half of the year” or winter.  Around this time, all the crops and the cattle would be brought in from the fields. It was believed that on the last day of October, the boundaries between ours and the spirit world were at its thin    nest. It was said that the spirits of people that died that year would move on, and spirits that have already passed on would come to visit. Much like Dia De Los Muertos, food was left out for families' loved ones. Bonfires and lanterns made of turnips (they didn't have pumpkins there) were lit to ward off the evil spirits, while dressing up as spirits was meant not to scare off the dead. Children would go door to door, singing carols and traditional songs, asking for candy. This was called ‘guising’. When the children were pacified with their sugars, they would move on. But refusing to hand out treats was very hazardous. Since the children and actual spirits both looked the same, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. And refusing a spirits plea would often end up badly. from animals being let loose from their stalls, to a bad year's harvest, spirits were not something to be messed with. As Irish immigrants came to America, they brought with them their pagan practices, which eventually came to call home in the American tradition of Halloween. Isn’t it cool how so many cultures believe that October is when spirits come back? I wonder why?

By Gabriel Patterson