Masked figures gather around a large bonfire with lit jack-o'-lanterns in a rustic village at night under a starry sky.

Halloween started over 2,000 years ago in Ireland with a group of people called the Celts. Their holiday was called Samhain, and it celebrated the end of summer and the start of the new year. On the night before, the Celts believed ghosts and powerful fairies came out to walk the earth. Fairies were especially feared because they had bad tempers and could ruin crops or even try to kidnap people. To protect themselves, the villagers wore scary masks when they left their homes and lit huge bonfires. They also made the first jack-o'-lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and putting candles inside. Today, we still wear costumes and give out sweets, following these very old traditions. See more