History of Halloween

With its roots in an ancient Celtic festival to honour the Lord of Death Samhain, the witches and warlocks, magic and mayhem of Halloween has had a spell-binding sense of both fascination and fear across the centuries.

Early Days

The Celts lived more than 2,000 years in ago in Great Britain, Ireland and northern France. Their New Year began on November 1 and the turn of the year was regarded as an important time to placate supernatural powers, particularly the Lord of Death. The celebrations of Samhain were particularly important because they marked not only the death of the old year and the birth of the new, but also the end of summer and the start of winter.

Sacrifice and superstition

These ancient celebrations involved fire rites, sacrifice, divination and masquerades and were partly serious and partly fun. On the evening of October 31, the Druids (Celtic priests and teachers) lit a huge bonfire made from sacred oak branches. People put out their own home fires and relit them from this sacred New Year fire to bring prosperity to the family in the months ahead. Animals were also sacrificed and their remains examined to predict the fortunes of the community for the coming year.

At the Samhain feast, places at the table were laid for the First Mother and First Father of the people. Places were also laid for the souls of children who would be born into the family and clan during the year to give them an opportunity to meet their new parents.

Halloween was also thought to be the one day of the year that the Lord of Death allowed the souls of the dead to return to earth. These wandering souls were believed to have the ability to capture attractive humans and take them to the other world for marriage. People disguised themselves by wearing animal heads and skins or blackening their faces and turning their clothes inside out so they would not be recognised and spirited away. Lighted candles were also placed in turnip heads (later replaced by pumpkins) and left to burn in windows all night to keep evil and mischievous spirits at bay.

Symbols for Halloween

Halloween was said to the most favourable night of the year for divination about health, wealth, luck, birth, death and marriage. It was also the most important ritual night for witches covens and those who practised the craft of the wise. The traditional symbols for Halloween over the centuries have therefore developed to represent the otherworld and include black cats, owls, ravens, crows, ghosts, witches, warlocks, cauldrons, broomsticks and ghoulish masks and well as popular divination tools such as Tarot cards and crystal balls.


Orange is a traditional colour for Halloween, representing the powerful cleansing nature of fire. Candles were lit at dusk and allowed to burn until dawn not only to keep evil spirits at bay but also to cleanse the home of negativity and bring good luck for the coming year. It was also customary to light candles for the souls departed ancestors, speaking their name aloud as each candle was lit. Black is another significant Halloween colour representing not only death and endings but also renewal and new beginnings. The number seven is also considered to be significant as it represents magic, mystery, dreams and the spirit world.

Halloween Today

In addition to the traditional celebrations and customs, Halloween today has also become an important time for remembering those who have passed over. The evening provides an ideal opportunity to hold a feast for the living, where favourite dishes of much-loved departed relatives can be cooked. It’s also an excellent time to look at old family photographs and retell family legends and stories. As the relationship between the living and the dead is thought to be at its strongest at Halloween, those who have passed over can be asked for advice and are said to do their best to guide and protect their descendants.