Halloween's origins date back to the Celts, who lived in what are now known as England, northern France, and Ireland (Barkin and James 40). It was the Celts who traditionally celebrated a holiday called Samhain, pronounced "Sah-wen" (Barkin and James 40). Samhain, celebrated on the night before the new year began, marked the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of the cold winter (Barkin and James 40). It was believed that on this night, witches and ghosts ruled, and that the souls of the dead would rise again to visit places where they had lived (Barkin and James 40). The Celts built huge fires to frighten the witches away, but food and lanterns were set out in order to welcome the ghosts and dead souls (Barkin and James 40).

Later, when Roman conquerors combined their own celebration of the dead with Samhain (Barkin and James 40). November 1 was officially named as "All Saints" or "All Hallows Day", the evening before "All Hallows Even" in the 800s (Barkin and James 40). Despite the churches attempts to sway the people to the contrary, tradition and myth prevailed; people kept to their beliefs in the wandering of the dead on this evening (Barkin and James 40). This is probably how ghosts came to be associated with Halloween (Barkin and James 41).

Pagan ideas and customs still remained, however. People in Ireland thought that ghosts and spirits roamed the earth on Halloween night (Barkin and James 41). They lit candles and lights to frighten the unwelcome visitors away, and wore masks and costumes to ward off spirits and ghosts if they had to venture away from their homes (Barkin and James 41). Trick or treating was another Irish invention. Groups of villagers would go from house to house begging for food for a community feast: those who gave generously were promised a prosperous year, those who gave little were threatened and cursed (Barkin and James 41).

The arrival of the Irish in America spawned a great interest in Halloween (Barkin and James 41).