Letters | Did you know? Halloween has Irish origins

Contrary to the popular belief that Halloween is an American custom, most will be surprised to learn that the origins of Halloween are, in fact, Irish and we have been celebrating it for over 2,000 years.

The ancient Celts called it Samhain (pronounced sow-win) and it was originally celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. They believed that Samhain was the time of year when the spirit realm was closest to the earthly world, and the souls of the dead would cross to the other side. To blend in with the wandering spirits, the ancients Celts wore masks to disguise themselves and lit large communal fires to ward off evil spirits and ghouls – familiar Halloween practices that continue today all over the world.

Other Halloween traditions that came from Ireland include carving faces into turnips (later pumpkins) as a form of protection, and trick-or-treating, where people would go from door to door in fabric masks, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.

The endurance of Halloween’s relevance and appeal is a result of the many Irish emigrants who brought the traditions of the harvest celebration to their new homes in America and other countries around the world. These customs and traditions were embraced and developed into the Halloween we know and love today.