Whatcha Gonna Be?

As "All Hallow's Eve" approaches, many children and adults alike are readying their costumes for what is regarded as the most magical night of the year.

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Known to some as "Samhain," meaning "Summer's end," Halloween is believed to be an interval during which the thin veil that separates the real world from the "Otherworld" is temporarily lifted allowing the dead to return to the land of the living to celebrate with their families.

The tradition of dressing in costume during this time can be traced back to Celtic societies. It was believed that it was particularily dangerous to be out after dark admist the wandering dead, so night travelers would don costumes. The intent was either to blend in, such as wearing white like a ghost, or to make oneself less recognizable to the spirits now roaming the countryside.

The Jack O'Lantern has a similar origin. A lantern made from a gourd with a scary face carved into it which was carried on nighttime excursions to frighten off malicious spirits.