FSC610 All Hallows

Ireland is the birthplace of Halloween, and we have been celebrating it for over 2,000 years, several regions across the island lay claim to the birth of this globally celebrated event. Pagan All Hallows refers to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), celebrated from sunset October 31 to sunset November 1, marking the end of harvest and the start of winter. It is a time when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest, honoring ancestors, offering food to spirits, and celebrating with bonfires, disguises, divination rituals involved hazel nuts and apples to predict marriage or the future.

The ancient Celts wore masks and costumes to disguise themselves from spirits or fairies, a practice that evolved into "guising".In terms of the symbolic meaning of orange and black for Halloween, Bannatyne points to the former being representative of darkness (Halloween was always thought of as a night-time holiday) while orange is the color of fire and the fall season since the hue is reminiscent of harvest.