History of Halloween

Halloween as we know it today had its beginnings over 2000 years ago in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhein in the area that is now Ireland, The United Kingdom and Northern France. These ancient Celts, or Druids celebrated their New Year on November 1st because to them, it marked the harvest or the end of the summer and the coming of the winter and time that was marked with starvation and death.
The usual Samhein festivals were celebrated with large bonfires where animal sacrifices were made and crops were burned to honor the old gods. Costumes were often worn during these rites, most often the masks made of animal heads with animal skins being worn.
The people believed that this was the time of year when the veil between the worlds of life and death was at its thinnest point and the dead could cross back and forth between these worlds and communication with the other side was indeed possible