A Short History
of Halloween

Many of the customs of Halloween today are based on beliefs and customs of long ago. It was common in many old cultures of Europe and other parts of the world to celebrate an autumn holiday each year. 

The favorite time to celebrate this autumn holiday was at the end of October. The date marked the end of summer and the harvest season and the beginning of the cold, dark winter.

On that last night in October it was believed that the dead could return to Earth. The dead would often return in the form of witches, ghosts, goblins, or as some other strange creature. These characters of the underworld would then join in a carnival of the wicked where they caused all sorts of trouble in the villages and fields.