00:00We all know Halloween. At least we think we know Halloween.
00:04We know it's a night of costumes, jack-o'-lanterns, and bags full of candy, or sweeties as they're called here in the United Kingdom.
00:12But long before it was just a day of tricks and treats, it was a pagan festival with a much deeper and much more spiritual meaning.
00:22Samhain, spelled S-A-M-H-A-I-N, so you could be forgiven for calling it Samhain,
00:28was an ancient Celtic festival celebrated on the night of October 31st, much like Halloween.
00:36For the Celts of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, it wasn't just another day.
00:41It was the end of the harvest and the start of the new year.
00:45More importantly, it was the one night of the year when the veil between the living and the spirit world was believed to be at its thinnest,
00:53and allowed the souls of the dead to walk the earth again once more.
00:57This was a time of both fear and reverence.
01:01The Celts would light massive communal bonfires, believing the flames had the power to protect them from any mischievous or malevolent spirits.
01:11People would leave feasts out for their ancestors, welcoming their spirits back for a night of reunion before the long, dark winter set in.
01:20And while the sacred aspects of Samhain have faded for most, it's ancient traditions that everywhere you look on Halloween.
01:30Take costumes for example, fancy dresses for lack of a better term.
01:34The Celts wore disguises made from animal hides and heads, and it wasn't a creative choice, more a survival tactic.
01:41They hoped to confuse or ward off any spirits they might meet, blending in with supernatural forces around them.
01:49Today, admittedly, the masks are plastic and the disguises are for fun, but the tradition somewhat remains the same.
01:58And what about jack-o'-lanterns?
01:59Well, before we had pumpkins, the Celts carved very scary faces into turnips, you heard correctly, turnips, potatoes, and beets.
02:11They'd place a candle inside to ward off evil spirits, and when the tradition came to North America with Irish and Scottish immigrants,
02:19they found that pumpkins were far, far easier to carve, and a new Halloween icon was born.
02:27And I mean, to be fair, pumpkin pie, turnip pie, I mean, each to their own.
02:32Even trick-or-treating has a fascinating history.
02:36This evolved from souling, where villagers would go door-to-door in costume, offering to pray for the souls of the dead in exchange for food.
02:45And back then, instead of Hershey bars, Snickers, or whoever wants to send me through a box of goods for name-checking them,
02:53they instead got soul cakes.
02:56And this practice, along with guising, where children would perform in exchange for treats,
03:01eventually merged into the modern-day ritual we know and love.
03:05Love being a strong word, if you hate doorknockers.
03:08And while Halloween has become perhaps a commercial celebration of spooky fun these days,
03:15some people still honour its ancient roots.
03:18Modern pagans and wiccans continue to observe Soen as a spiritual festival,
03:24a time to honour ancestors, and reflect on the past year, and of course, prepare for the new one.
03:30So this Halloween, as you put on your costume and you carve your pumpkin,
03:34remember you're not just participating in the modern holiday.
03:38You're taking part in a tradition that connects you to an ancient world,
03:42a time when the spirits of the dead truly walk among the living.
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