Halloween~Samhain

Many of the ancient peoples of Europe marked the end
of the harvest season and the beginning of winter
by celebrating a holiday in late autumn.
The most important of these holidays to
influence later Halloween customs was Samhain,
a holiday observed by the ancient
Celts, a tribal people who inhabited
most of Western and Central Europe
in the first millennium BC. Among the Celts,
Samhain marked the end of one year and the
beginning of the next. It was one of four
Celtic holidays linked to important transitions
in the annual cycle of seasons.
Samhain began at sundown on October 31
and extended into the following day.
According to the Celtic pagan religion,
known as Druidism, the spirits of those
who had died in the preceding year
roamed the earth on Samhain evening.
The Celts sought to ward off these
spirits with offerings of food and drink.
The Celts also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites
and performed rituals,
often involving human and animal sacrifices,
to honor Druid deities.

"Halloween" Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000