For the Celts, who lived in ancient Britain and Ireland, it also marked the start of the new year. Samhain starts on the evening of October 31 and lasts through the night on November 1.

The origins of Halloween traditions go back to an ancient Celtic festival involving animal sacrifice and a cave of demons in Rathcroghan, Ireland. Mike McCarthy, a tour guide at Rathcroghan, joins us.

Halloween’s Celtic roots are a lot spookier than witches and candy bars A parade goes through Glastonbury, England, to celebrate Samhain. This ancient Celtic festival of the dead was adopted by ...

On Celtic 'Halloween,' the Dead Returned. By ABC News. October 30, 2002, 4:40 PM. ... Well, at least that's what the ancient Celts who observed the precursor to Halloween thought.

She was hoping for a husband by the following Halloween, ... It originated with the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, during which bonfires were lit and costumes donned to warn off spirits.

Long before candy and costumes, Halloween began as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. Discover how it evolved into the spooky celebration we know today.

The Halloween traditions that we celebrate today, in America, originate from the Celtic pagan festival called “Samhain.“ The phrase is from ancient Gaelic. It means “end of summer ...

From the column: "As the light of summer fades and the season of darkness begins, the ancient holiday of Halloween arrives to celebrate the dead mingling with the world of the living." ...

Halloween’s origins are deeply rooted in ancient Celtic traditions and have evolved over time to incorporate elements of Christian and secular celebrations. While it may be seen as a controversial ...

As Halloween approaches, people get ready to celebrate the spooky, the scary and the haunted. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons and witches show up in yards, windows and stores.