Halloween traditions might hail from All Hallows’ Eve, the Christian celebration preceding All Saints’ Day, but that has roots in Samhain — a Celtic pagan festival. Long before Westerners carved pumpkins come fall, the Scots were sticking knives into “neeps” (turnips). Disguised children (“guisers”) warded off evil spirits on the streets of Scotland centuries before brats in Gryffindor scarves demanded Twinkies.
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