BY MICKI DARRAGH

Halloween's roots can be traced back to Celtic culture in Ireland. According to their "Druid" religion, November 1st was New Years' on their calendar. The celebration would begin on October 31st,and last into the following day. The spirits of all who died in the prior year, would rise up and roam the earth on this night. This is an evil night when spirits roamed the streets and villages. Lord Samhain, the lord of Darkness, would arrive in search of the spirits to take them to the underworld. Halloween as it is currently celebrated with costumes, trick or treat, and superstitions, takes from this Druid Holiday.

Halloween was called Hallow E'en in Ireland. Halloween evolved from "All Hollows" Eve. It originated from the pagan holiday honoring the dead. On All Hallows Eve, the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead was thin. It allowed the souls of the dead to come back to earth and walk among the living. People would leave out food and candies for the dead, in the hope that the evil spirits would leave them alone. They would also carve out turnips and rutabagas, and place embers in them to ward off the evil spirits. This glowing predecessor to the pumpkin Jack O'Lantern, would keep the souls of the dead away.

A Really Big Show  Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. Consumers spend over €2.5 Billion during Halloween. That's a whole lot of candy, costumes, decorations, and party goods.

Samhain the Lord of Darkness  The Druid religion of Celtic tribes worshipped Samhain, the Lord of Darkness. To some, he was also referred to as the "lord of the Dead". The Druid New Year began on November 1st, as the hours of night time were growing significantly over the hours of sunlight. Hence, Lord Samhain reigned over the long winter months as the influence of the Sun god receded.

PUMPKIN ROOTS  Pumpkin's Roots Pumpkins have inhabited the planet for thousands of years. They originated in Central America. They were used then (and now) as a food crop. Over the course of centuries, pumpkins spread their vines across all of North and South America. When Europeans arrived in the New World, they found pumpkins plentiful and used in cooking by Native Americans. They took seeds back to Europe where they quickly became popular.

It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow's Eve, Irish townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions of food for a feast in the town.

GHOSTS  Ghosts have haunted people and places on all the continents of the world, since the beginning of time. For the doubters among us, there is ample documentation and proof to show that ghosts do indeed exist. Many of the links below will take you to other sites where ample documentation and eye witnesses accounts lend proof positive to the existence of ghosts

Haunted house  What does it take for a house to be haunted? Well, how about a ghost for starters. A haunted house is the dwelling place for the spirit of a dead person. The deceased person is usually, but not always, someone who has been murdered. During Halloween season, the ghosts and spirits are depicted as evil. But, they can also be good. Sometimes the deceased is caught between worlds, seeking to finish something left undone before moving on to the next world

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