WHY DO WE CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN?

Hundreds of years ago the Celtic people or the Celts lived in regions that are now Ireland, Britain and northern France. This was long-long back............. even before Jesus Christ. The Celts had a tradition of remembering those who had died and keeping the evil spirits peaceful. They did this every year on 31st October and it was called Samhain. But their practices were opposed to the Christian way. Hense, nearly seven hundred years after Christ the head of the Catholic church moved an important Christian day the all Saint's day to 1st November. He thought everyone would forget about Samhain.

It is a Christian festival in honour of all the Saints in heaven. Earlier it was celebrated on 1st of May. Did it work? the shifting of the festival? well..... no, It didn't work. People didn't forget about Samhain though it didn't spread as fast as it used to earlier. 

But how did Halloween come about?

Since November 1st was the day of celebrating the Holy spirits the evening before that became the Holy evening or all Hallow Even. Hallow is the old word for Holy and Even is the old word for evening. Soon all Hallow Even became Halloween!
So it has nothing to do with dressing up?
It does! Dear, In fact, dressing up as spirits and ghosts became a part of the All Saints Day celebration because of people who celebrated Samhain believed that wearing scary costumes would scare away the evil spirits and keep them away. Just like the pumpkin you love to carve every Halloween.

Oh no! No the Jack-o-Lantern too!

Yes dear. People carve the pumpkin and keep it outside their homes to ward off the evil spirits. Wow, Tia! I never knew Halloween had such a different meaning. Thank you for telling me all this.