The History of Halloween

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Cortez

THE JACK O LANTERN

Cortez Johnson, Writer/Reporter

The history of Halloween is ancient from Celtic Festival of Samhain from 2,000 years ago. According to Peter Tokofsky, Assistant Professor at UCLA, it is celebrated because it is the marking of “summer’s end” which marked the end of the harvest season and the coming winter. The costumes were worn to trick the evil spirits thinking that they were other evil spirits. Trick or treating came from time where the homeless people were going around begging for food and money in exchange for the prayers for the dead. The jack o lanterns were used to scare off the evil spirits. Many kids and teens today dress all across the world to join in the tradition of Halloween.