THE TRUE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN..
The true origin of Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated about 2000 years ago in the area that today includes Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France.
Samhain marked the end of summer, the harvest, and the beginning of winter, with the belief that the night between October 31 and November 1 thinned the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead.
During this festival, the Celts lit sacred bonfires to protect themselves from darkness, wore costumes to ward off evil spirits, and made offerings.
The tradition of carving vegetables for Halloween originated in Ireland, where turnips were used, not pumpkins. The Irish created lanterns called "Jack-o'-lantern" based on the legend of Stingy Jack, a clever blacksmith who tricked the devil and, after death, was condemned to wander in darkness with only a burning coal inside a turnip for light.
It was only with the Irish emigration to America in the 19th century that turnips were replaced by pumpkins, which are larger, softer, and easier to carve.
With the advent of Christianity, the Catholic Church established November 1 as All Saints' Day, and the night before, October 31, became known as "All Hallows' Eve," a term that over time transformed into "Halloween." The name comes from the Old English expression "All Hallows' Eve," which means "Vigil of All Saints."
The spread of the festival in the United States occurred thanks to the large migration of Irish people in the 19th century, but its origin remains European and Celtic.
