Culture Corner Happy Halloween!
Halloween is celebrated by Western cultures every year on the night of 31 October. But did you know that it is one of the oldest holidays in history? Over 2000 years ago, people known as the Celts lived in Northern Europe. They worshipped the sun god and believed the god made their crops grow. On the night of 31 October, after their crops had been harvested and stored for winter, the Celts began a 3-day New Year holiday. During this time, they offered crops and dead animals to thank the god and danced in costumes made from animal heads and skin. Later, when the Romans invaded Europe, they adopted the Celts' New Year customs and used them in their own festivals. After 835 AD, the Catholic Church in Europe invented a holiday on 1 November, All Hallows' Day, to honour saints.