The story of Halloween




About 2000 years ago in Great Britain lived the Celts. Their new year was on 1st November. They thought this was the end of summer, the beginning of dark, cold winter and on the night of 31st October, the ghosts and the dead came back to the earth. On 1st November they had a festival: food, drink and dance for three days!!! On 2nd November, on All Souls’ Day the Celts walked from home to home to ask for ‘Soul cakes’. Soul cakes were made of square-shaped bread and fruit. The more cakes they had the more prayers they had to say for the deads. Perhaps this festival was the first Halloween.

In the year 836 AD the Roman Catholic Church made 1st November a special day: All Saints’ Day or All Hallows. The night before was called All Hallows Eve which later became Halloween.

Today some people make strange pumpkin faces with candles inside. The are called Jack-o-lanterns. On Halloween these pumpkins make light in the dark, scary night.