Create a spooky celebration feast

I love Halloween! Admittedly, when the weather’s turning colder and the nights start to draw in, this time of year can seem a little drab and depressing, but we often forget the delights and festivities which the winter brings – one of which being the ultimate festival for lovers of magic, mystery and all things supernatural.

WHERE DID IT START?

The origins of this spooky celebration are often disputed, with many studies finding links to traditional Pagan and Christian practices, while others connecting it most closely to Samhain. Meaning ‘summer’s end’, the Celtic festival of Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season. It is said that during this day, the Celts believed that the barrier between our mortal world and the world beyond (where ghosts and spirits reside) thinned, so that supernatural creatures were free to wander the Earth. A traditional Celtic gathering was held each year, when citizens would light fires and wear costumes to scare off troublesome ghosts; they would also burn crops as a sacrifice to the deities. Later on, during the eighth century, the Christian religion dedicated the 1st November to honour the saints, naming the celebration All Saints Day, and this absorbed some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before, 31st October, was then dubbed All Hallows Eve, and, later, Halloween.