Long before plastic skeletons and glow-in-the-dark spiders, the ancient Celts in Britain, Ireland, and northern France had a festival called Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter—basically, the original “spooky season.”
Samhain was on October 31st, and the Celts believed that on this night, the veil between the living and the dead became super thin. Like, gossamer-thin. So thin that ghosts could pop round for a visit. Great, thanks, ancestors.
To keep these spirits happy (and to stop them from messing with their crops or stealing their cows), the Celts lit massive bonfires and wore costumes made from animal skins. Yes, really. They weren’t dressing as sexy cats—they were trying to blend in with the dead. Talk about commitment.
