Halloween: it's not an American holiday
As Halloween gets bigger and bigger in the UK, many individuals complain about how this "American holiday" is taking over. While a reluctance to open the door to strange children and hand out sweets is somewhat understandable, Halloween itself has ancient roots in Celtic culture, although some of the modern day trappings of the holiday do come from the land across the pond. The Celtic festival of Samhain ('SAH-win') was a pagan religious celebration to mark what was then the New Year and celebrate the harvest. Bonfires were a big part of the celebration, and people would wear costumes to confuse and ward off ghosts, who were believed to wander the earth at this time. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III chose 1 November as All Saints Day, and the evening before became known as All Hallows Eve, later Halloween. The idea of the dead coming into contact with the living continued. Jack-o'-Lanterns originated in Ireland, but originally, turnips were used instead of...