Huffington Post
Chris McGowan
Posted October 31, 2008 | 12:54 PM (EST)

A Brief History of Halloween (and its Pagan Origins in Samhain)

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Tonight, don't be surprised if Sarah Palin, John McCain, and Barack Obama come knocking on your door. They won't be campaigning, and they'll probably be accompanied by hordes of vampires, witches, and ghosts. It is Halloween, which has pagan (pre-Christian) origins, but is not evil or menacing unless you watch too many horror movies or go to Palin's church.

Halloween's roots lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated on a full moon around Nov. 1. Samhain was the most important of the Celtic fire festivals, or holy days, because it was the start of the New Year. The harvest had ended, the last crops had been picked, and a chill was in the air. The dark half of the year was beginning. On the night of Samhain, the Celts believed that the souls of the dead were restless, on the move, and could cross over into the world of the living.

Later, the Celts converted to Christianity and when the Christian Church could not …

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