The word "Halloween" is derived from All Hallows Eve, which refers to the day before the Christian holiday of All Saints Day. Even before the introduction of Christianity, the ancient Celts believed this to be the day when their deceased ancestors would return from the dead.

It was said that on this day, the borders between our world and the spirits' world become blurred, and demons, witches, and ghosts of the dead could cross over and wander this earth again.

On Halloween, people wore masks and gave offerings of food to protect themselves from the spirits' magic.

The pumpkin lamps you see around the place at Halloween are called Jack-o'-lanterns. This name comes from an Irish legend about a man named Jack who tried to trick the devil, and was unable to enter either heaven or hell.

Jack-o'-lanterns were originally made from turnips, but as the tradition spread to America, pumpkins became more common.