Mia and Tom were sitting on their grandma's couch on a chilly fall evening. Pumpkin lanterns were lit up outside while children ran from house to house to collect sweets. Mia looked at her grandma and asked curiously: "Grandma, why do we celebrate Halloween?"
Grandma smiled and began to tell the story. A long time ago, there was once a people called the Celts. They lived in Ireland, Scotland and England. On October 31, they always celebrated a big festival called Samhein. The Celts used it to celebrate the start of the new year. They believed that on this special night, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of spirits was particularly thin. Therefore, the spirits of the deceased could return for a short time and wander through the world of the living.
To keep the spirits away, the Celts lit large fires. They also wore masks and dressed up in scary costumes. This was to scare the spirits and protect themselves from them. As there were not only evil spirits, they also placed food and small gifts outside their doors to welcome the friendly spirits.
Some time later, the Romans came to the land of the Celts and brought their own traditions and festivals with them. They celebrated a festival at the end of October in honor of the goddess Pomona. She was the goddess of fruit and the harvest. Over time, the two traditions merged and the festival we know today as Halloween was born. The collecting of sweets and the carving of pumpkins therefore comes from the Celts and the Romans.
But that was not all! In the Middle Ages, November 1 became the Christian holiday of All Saints' Day. The night before, October 31, was called "All Hallows' Eve" and from this came the name "Halloween"!
Mia and Tom were flabbergasted. "So we're dressing up on Halloween to scare the ghosts?"
Grandma nodded. "That's exactly how it is. Halloween is a night of fun, but it also reminds us of the old legends and customs. And who knows, there might actually be a ghost or two roaming the streets."
Mia and Tom looked at each other and said: "Let's find our scariest costumes right now."
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