Did you ever wonder why trickortreating is called trickortreating? How about why people dress up in costumes on the last evening of October going door to door, asking for treats? Sticking a light or candle in a carvedout pumpkin? Where did it all come from?
Well, you can thank the Celts and the festival of Samhain for all of it.

Samhain is referenced over a thousand years ago in Irish literature. Today we’ll talk about the origins of Samhain and the customs, traditions, and legends that eventually led to the modernday Halloween.

Some images c/o:
Imbolc: malcolm, CC BYSA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Beltane: Stefan Schäfer, Lich, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mummers: Michael Maggs, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, AndyScott, CC BYSA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Doyle of London, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons,
Ethan Doyle White, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Guisers: Guisers in the procession at Uyeasound Up Helly Aa by Mike Pennington, CC BYSA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Mike Pennington / Guisers at Norik Up Helly Aa
Soulcakes: Malikhpur, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Halloween Tumshie: LornaMCampbell, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Turnip (Halloween): Rannpháirtí anaithnid at English Wikipedia, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Bodrugan, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
All Saints Day: Holger Motzkau 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (ccbysa3.0), CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Silar, CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
All Souls Day: Laurence Goff, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican: Ricardo André Frantz (User:Tetraktys), CC BYSA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, All Saint’s Church: All Saints church in Salperton on Boxing Day 2012 by Roger Davies, CC BYSA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Samhain / Pagans: See page for author, CC BYSA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons