The origins of Halloween date back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. Historians believe this tradition began about 2,000 years ago and was first celebrated in the area that is now Ireland, northern France and the United Kingdom. November 1st marked the New Year in Celtic culture as well as the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead broke down and ghosts could return to earth. They also believed that priests and druids’ powers were amplified on the night of the 31st so bonfires were held to appease the deities. The Celts would often attend these bonfires in costumes, which is believed to be where the costume traditions we have today originated from.