NexttoChristmas,HalloweenisthemostcommercializedcelebrationintheUnitedStatesandCanada.ThisancientfestivaloriginatedfarfromNorthAmericahowever,andcenturiesbeforethefirstEuropeansetfootonthecontinent.

　　TheancientDruidswhoinhabitedwhatwenowcallGreatBritainplacedgreatimportanceonthepassingofoneseasontothenext,holding"FireFestivals"whichwerecelebratedforthreedays(twodaysoneithersideofthedayitself).

　　OneofthesefestivalswascalledSamhain(pronouncedSha-Von)andittookplaceonOctober31throughtoNovember1.Duringthisperiod,itwasbelievedthattheboundariesbetweenourworldandtheworldofthedeadwereweakened,allowingspiritsoftherecentlydeadtocrossoverandpossesstheliving.

　　Inordertomakethemselvesandtheirhomeslessinvitingtothesewaywardspirits,theancientCeltswoulddousealltheirfires.Therewasalsoasecondarypurposetothis,afterextinguishingalltheirfires,theywouldre-lightthemfromacommonsource,theDruidicfirethatwaskeptburningatUsinach,intheMiddleofIreland.

　　Samhainwasconsideredtobeagatewaynotonlyfromthelandofthedeadtothelandoftheliving,butalsobetweenSummerandFall/Winter.FortheDruids,thiswasthelastgaspofsummer(itwasalsotheCelticNewYear),sothereforetheymadesureitwentoutwithabangbeforetheyhadtobuttondownforthewinterahead.

　　Theywoulddressupinbizarrecostumesandparadethroughtheirvillagescausingdestructioninordertoscareoffanyrecentlydepartedsoulswhomightbeprowlingforbodiestoinhabit,inadditiontoburninganimalsandotherofferingstotheDruidicdeities.Itisalsoapopularbeliefthattheywouldburnpeoplewhotheybelievedtobepossessed,butthishaslargelybeendebunkedasmyth.

　　ThisyearlyfestivalwasadoptedbytheRomaninvaders,whohelpedtopropagateitthroughouttherestoftheworld(andatthattime,theRomanEmpirewastheworld).Theword"Halloween"itselfactuallycomesfromacontractionofAllHallowsEve,orAllSaint'sDay(November1),whichisaCatholicdayofobservanceinhonorofsaints.

　　ThistraditionwaslaterbroughttotheNorthAmericancontinentbyIrishimmigrantswhowereescapingthePotatoFamineintheirhomeland.Inadditiontothefestivalitself,theimmigrantsbroughtseveralcustomswiththem,includingoneofthesymbolsmostcommonlyassociatedwithHalloween--theJack'OLantern.

　　AccordingtoIrishfolklore,thereoncelivedamannamedJackwhowasknownforbeingadrunkandaprankster.OnenightJacktrickedthedevilintoclimbingatree,andquicklycarvedanimageofacrossonthetrunk,trappingthedevil.Jackthenmadehimpromisethat,inexchangeforlettinghimoutofthetree,theDevilwouldnevertempthimtosinagain.Hereluctantlyagreed,butwasabletoexacthisrevengeuponJack'sdeath.Becauseofhismischievouswaysinlife,Jackwasbarredfromenteringheavenandbecauseofhisearliertrick,hewasalsobarredfromhell.Sohewasdoomedtowandertheearthuntiltheendoftime,withonlyasingleember(carriedinahollowedoutturnip.towarmhimandlighthisway.

　　InIreland,theyoriginallyalsousedturnipsfortheir"JackLanterns",butuponarrivinginthenewworld,theydiscoveredthatpumpkinswereabundantandeasiertocarveout.