Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31 each year. Its history dates back to early Celtic times. The Celts were a people who lived in what is now England up until about the year 450 A.D. After being defeated by Germanic tribes at this time, they were forced to move from their homes in England to Ireland and Wales.



The term ?Halloween? is a shortened version of ?All Hallows Eve? and comes from the name of a month in the ancient Celtic Calendar. In the first three nights of this month a festival was held marking the end of the summer season and the end of the harvest. Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celts to take count of their supplies and slaughter any livestock ready for the long winter. It was believed that on October 31, the boundary separating the living from the dead was diminished and the dead became dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness and/or damaged crops. At the festivals a bonfire was usually created and the bones of the slaughtered livestock were thrown in. Costumes and masks were also worn to at the festivals in an attempt to pacify any evil spirits.

The colors black and orange are usually associated with Halloween, as is the Jack-o?-lantern.

Immigrants from Ireland who were relocating to North America during the Great Famine of 1846 brought versions of the Halloween tradition with them. Today in America the Halloween traditions and activities include: trick-or-treating, ghost tours, carving Jack-o?-lanterns, costume parties, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, reading scary stories and watching horror movies.

The Halloween season is spooky and lots of fun. You get to dress up and go to parties and eat lots of junk food.

Fun things to do to get into the Halloween holiday spirit:

Halloween costumes: There are thousands of Halloween costumes to choose from including Indiana Jones, Disney costumes for adults, famous couples costumes, Santa Suits, Halloween scary disgusting masks, make up ideas, weird costumes, sexy Valentine's Day costumes and puppy Halloween costumes. Dress everybody up from women, men kids and of course don't forget your pet/s.

Jack-o?-lanterns: Carve your very own Halloween pumpkin using free stencils online. Need help to carving your Halloween pumpkin? Visit our website for instructions and stencils.

 

Recipes: Halloween finger foods, yummy witches finger biscuits, pumpkin squares, cupcake graveyards, traditional red toffee apples, spider cupcakes and more. Homemade Halloween treats are easy to make, look scary (but taste great) and will impress everybody! Don't forget to roast your left over pumpkin seeds from your Halloween pumpkins. Make Halloween extra special with your very own homemade treats.

Parties: Decorations and party supplies are an important design factor in any party. Get specially designed Halloween party invitations and treat bags for the occasion. A smoke machine is a nice affect as well!

Trick-or-treating: If there are children in your neighborhood, then you'll want to stock up on trick-or-treat candy. If you're the one going trick-or-treating don't forget to dress-up and bring your plastic pumpkin carry bag to store all those treats!

Horror movies: Choose one of your favorite horror movies to watch with friends.

Decorate your computer: Download one of the many desktop backgrounds, screensavers or special Halloween sounds for your computer over the holiday period.

Haunted Attractions: Check out your local haunted attractions with family and friends to make it a memorable Halloween.

We welcome you to use our site to help you with finding anything you need for Halloween, and any other holiday seasons!