Halloween: Why Do We Really Celebrate Spooky Season?

Love it or hate it, Halloween has a long rich history – and has been a significant celebration in our culture for more than a thousands years.While its religious connotations have now faded, and the event is associated with dressing up, pumpkins, and everything eerie, the occasion is still full of references to its pagan roots.Here’s why we celebrate October 31, and why some curious traditions (bobbing for apples, anyone?) have stood the test of time.What does paganism have to do with Halloween?A lot, really. The whole event comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a religious, pagan celebration which was meant to mark the official end of summer and welcome the harvest.Of course, if you live in the UK, by the end of October, summer feels like a lifetime ago.But, for the pagans in the Celtic regions of Ireland, the UK and northern France, who lived around 2,000 years ago, lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts was the best way to ring in the special occasion