Halloween is coming , but what is really?

Halloween (contraction of All Hallows' Eve, 'Night of All Saints'), also known as Halloween or Night of the Dead, is a celebration of Celtic origin celebrated primarily in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and in Anglo-Saxon countries such as Mexico and Colombia on the night of October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day. In large part, is a secular celebration but some believe it has a religious background. Irish immigrants passed versions of the tradition to North America during the Great Irish Famine of 1840

The day is often associated with the colors orange, black and purple and is strongly associated with symbols like the jack-o'-lantern. Typical activities include the famous Halloween trick or treating and costume parties, plus bonfires, visiting haunted houses, jokes, reading scary stories and watching horror movies.Halloween has its origins in a Celtic festival known as Samhain, which is derived from Old Irish and means end of summer. The ancient Britons had a festival known as Calan Gaeaf like. Samhain was celebrated at the end of the harvest season in celtic culture and was regarded as the "Celtic New Year", with the season starting in May oscura.

The ancient Celts believed that the line connecting this world with the Hereafter narrowed with the advent of Samhain, allowing spirits (both benevolent and malevolent) pass through. The family's ancestors were honored guests while harmful spirits were away. It is believed that the use of costumes and masks is due to the need to ward off evil spirits. Its purpose was to take the appearance of an evil spirit to avoid being damaged. In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masks or face paint

Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and livestock to prepare for winter. The fires also played an important role in the festivities. All other fires were extinguished and in every home was lit a fire in the fireplace. The bones of slaughtered animals were thrown to the bonfire

Another common practice was divination, which often involved the consumption of food and beverages.