What is now known as Halloween is an ancient ritual of the Celtic people. This holiday dates from the year 100 a. C., it was a night party that welcomed the new year. In addition, this party, at the end of October, commemorated the end of the harvest. The Gaelic word Samhain, in Gaelic means, etymologically, 'end of summer'.
The Celts stored provisions for the winter and sacrificed animals. By the time the crops were finished, it also meant that the days were going to be shorter and the nights longer. Therefore, they believed that on that night, the night of Samhain the spirit of the dead returned to visit the world of the living, because of this they lit large bonfires to scare away evil spirits.
In this ritual it was customary to leave sweets and food on the outskirts of their houses. It was also the custom to light candles to help the souls of the dead find their way to the light and rest next to the Sun God, in the Summer Lands.
Due to the different colonizations, ideologies and currents of thought this tradition can be seen and extended by almost all the peoples of the Medieval Europe, those people who maintained their ethical roots continued to hollow out turnips to place burning coal and thus light the way back to the world of the living to their deceased relatives and protect themselves from evil spirits.
When the religion of Christianity was constituted, this pagan festival was Christianized, November 1, as the day of "All Saints", what to the translation in English is "All Hallow's Eve", and hence the current expression of 'Halloween'. However, many Irish descendants of peoples of Celtic origin, continued to celebrate the festive tradition of the night of Samhaim, on October 31. by
Other Irish emigrants arriving in North America, brought with them their culture and tradition, and their night of Samhain. All this mixed with the changes that had already been produced in Europe. Here already the pumpkins begin to appear, these larger than the turnips were easier to cup.
Usually, many confuse Halloween with the legend of Jack-o-lantern, or as it is currently known, "Jack O'Lantern" .Aunuqe is also an Irish legend is darker. Its history is very similar to the Venezuelan Silbón, since it is a quarrelsome called Jack, who one night, the one of the 31st, stumbled upon the very devil.
Although the night of Samhain does not have the same Irish Celtic connotation, it is never too easy to know these festivities as well as others.