Halloween. It’s not officially a holiday, but for many people, it’s their favorite day of the year. When else do you get to dress up in the wackiest costume you can imagine and eat handfuls of candy without anyone batting an eye?
However, while everyone gets the gist of Halloween, there’s a lot of history behind this day, including some interesting facts you might not already know. Halloween dates back hundreds of years, when it was celebrated in a much different way. So without dressing it up too much, here are some scarily good facts about the day…
It Has Celtic Roots
Woman’s Day explains that “Halloween-type behavior” actually traces back several centuries to a Celtic festival called Samhain (which translates to “summer’s end). The site notes this was like a pagan New Year’s celebration, but instead took place from October 31 into November 1.
The source explains that instead of eating candy, the revelers would enjoy large feasts along with having bonfires. Oh, and there was also the little detail of animal sacrifices. Scary! However, other sources note there was a similarity to modern Halloween, as the Celts also wore costumes to this festival.