History of Halloween

Every year on October 31st, wide toothy smiles are carved into pumpkins and people dress as their favourite characters. But do we really know where Halloween came from?

Behind the sweets and scares lies a story that began thousands of years ago. Long before the holiday became a night of haunted houses and horror films, it was a festival of fire, folklore, and community in Ireland.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Celts marked the turning of the seasons with Samhain, meaning “summer’s end.” This Celtic New Year was a moment of transition, when light gave way to darkness, the harvest ended, and the boundary between this world and the next grew thin.

Today, in County Meath at the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, the Púca Festival reawakens the true spirit of Samhain, blending ancient myth with contemporary performance, food, and storytelling. The festival’s spiritual home is Athboy, beside Tlachtga, or the Hill of Ward, an archaeological site once used for great Samhain feasts. Ancient manuscripts record that druids lit a sacred fire here, from which all other fires in Ireland were rekindled, signalling renewal for the year ahead.

Aston spoke to ancient blacksmith Tom King.

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash