Where does Halloween Come From

Country or History Day

Read “Where does Halloween Come From?” and talk about Ireland, Scotland and the Celtic People.

WHERE DOES HALLOWEEN COME FROM?

We celebrate Halloween every year on October 31st. Where
does the holiday come from?
The holiday originally comes from a people called the Celts.
The Celts lived in Europe more than 2000 years ago. On
November 1st they celebrated the end of summer. They thought
ghosts visited the living on October 31st. They dressed up like
ghosts so the spirits would not harm them.
Today, many countries still remember the dead on
November 1st. It is called All Saints Day. Another name for it is All
Hallow’s Day. The day before, October 31st, is called All Hallow’s
Eve, or Halloween for short.
Halloween is an old tradition in Ireland and Scotland. In
those countries, people dressed up and carried lanterns made of
turnips. When people moved from Ireland and Scotland to the
United States, they started using pumpkins. This is where the
jack-o’-lantern comes from.
They also had a tradition of giving food to the spirits. Later,
they gave the food to poor people. This is where trick-or-treating
comes from.
Halloween has changed a lot since its origins. New people
have brought new traditions, and changed the old ones. What do
you think Halloween will be like in another two thousand years?

I would probably pick one or two things to teach the kids not all they may get bored. Spruce up with pictures or crafts etc.