A short, friendly guide to where Halloween came from and how different traditions see it.

Halloween blends ancient harvest customs (often called pagan, meaning “pre-Christian local traditions”) with Christian holy days—All Hallows’/All Saints’ and All Souls’. It’s a night about change, memory, and community, stitched together over centuries.

Where it starts: Samhain (pronounced “SAH-win”)

Long before streetlights and candy buckets, Celtic communities in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Britain marked Samhain, the hinge between harvest and winter. It was a liminal night: herds came in, debts were settled, and fires were lit. People left a light or food at the door, honoring ancestors and asking for protection as the darker months began. Masks and costumes? Those likely helped folks blend in with wandering spirits—or at least with the neighbors playing at being spirits.

The Christian layer: All Hallows’ & All Souls’

Centuries later, the church set All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’, Nov 1) to honor known and unknown saints, followed by All Souls’ Day (Nov 2) to pray for the departed. The evening before became All Hallows’ Eve—Halloween. Instead of bonfires on hilltops, bells rang; instead of leaving food for spirits, the faithful shared “soul cakes” and prayers. The theme stayed familiar: remembrance, charity, and community across the veil of memory.

How the customs blended

• Guising & souling → trick-or-treating: Children and the poor once went door to door for cakes or coins in exchange for a song, a prayer, or a joke. Today it’s candy for costumes, but the neighborly exchange remains.

• Turnips → pumpkins: In Ireland and Scotland, people carved turnip lanterns to ward off mischief (think the “Stingy Jack” tale). Immigrants in North America found pumpkins—bigger, easier to carve, and photogenic—so the jack-o’-lantern grew a new grin.

“Pagan” and “religious”: different lenses, shared themes

Pagan/folk perspectives:

• Celebrate seasonal change and the cycle of life-death-renewal.

• Honor ancestors with candles, food, and stories.

• See Halloween as a threshold night—a time for reflection, not fear.

Christian perspectives:

• Center holiness and remembrance—thanking God for saints and praying for departed loved ones.

• Encourage charity and community togetherness.

• Treat costumes and lanterns as cultural fun, while keeping focus on hope and light.

Across both lenses you’ll spot the same compass points: memory, generosity, courage in the dark, and the warmth of home.

Arthur’s birthday aside

As a shark of refined taste, I propose a gentle ritual: place a small candle in a safe lantern, speak one grateful memory, then enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie while telling a favorite ancestor story. History meets hospitality—that’s Halloween done right.

Arthur’s note: “Whether you call it Samhain or All Hallows’ Eve, may your heart be bright and your porch light welcoming.”