Where Did Halloween Come From? Samhain, Ireland and the Real Origins of October 31

Halloween feels thoroughly modern — pumpkins, costumes, trick-or-treating, horror films. But its date, many of its customs and even its name trace back more than a thousand years to Ireland and Scotland, to a festival called Samhain (pronounced roughly 'SOW-in'). Understanding that history changes how you see October 31, and it points to some of the most atmospheric places in Europe to spend it.

Samhain: The End of Summer in the Gaelic Year

The early Gaelic calendar was divided by four seasonal festivals: Imbolc at the start of February, Bealtaine at the start of May, Lughnasa at the start of August, and Samhain at the start of November. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Like many Celtic observances, it began at sunset, so the celebration started on the evening we now call October 31. Cattle were brought down from summer pastures, food was stored for winter, and communities gathered around large fires.

A Night When the Veil Grew Thin

Samhain was understood as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld weakened. Irish tradition describes the aos sí — the fairy folk — moving about freely, and the dead returning to their homes. Families set out food and drink, and people disguised themselves so that wandering spirits would not recognise them. These ideas run through medieval Irish literature, where several major events of the old sagas are set at Samhain.

From All Hallows' Eve to Halloween

As Christianity spread, the Church's own commemorations of the dead came to sit on the same dates. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows' Day) was fixed on November 1, followed by All Souls' Day on November 2. The evening before All Hallows' Day became All Hallows' Eve, which was shortened in Scots and English to Hallowe'en — and eventually Halloween. The older Samhain customs did not disappear; they blended with the new Christian observance and carried on in rural communities for centuries.

Turnips Before Pumpkins: The First Jack-o'-Lanterns

The carved pumpkin is an American adaptation. In Ireland and Scotland, people hollowed out turnips (and in some areas mangel-wurzels or potatoes), carved faces into them and placed a coal or candle inside. Irish folklore links the lanterns to 'Stingy Jack', a man who tricked the Devil and was left to wander the earth with only an ember to light his way. When Irish emigrants reached North America, pumpkins were larger, softer and easier to carve — and the jack-o'-lantern took on the form we recognise today. Some Irish museums and heritage centres still display traditional turnip lanterns, and they are genuinely unsettling to look at.

Guising, Barmbrack and Snap-Apple Night

Several modern Halloween customs have clear Gaelic ancestors. 'Guising' — going door to door in disguise, performing a song or verse in exchange for food — was common in Scotland and Ireland and is an ancestor of trick-or-treating. Apple games such as bobbing for apples and snap-apple (trying to bite an apple hung on a string) were so associated with the night that it was sometimes called Snap-Apple Night. In Irish homes, barmbrack — a fruit loaf — was baked with small objects inside, such as a ring, and whoever found the ring in their slice was said to be married within the year. Barmbrack is still sold in Irish bakeries every October.

How Halloween Crossed the Atlantic

Large-scale Irish and Scottish emigration in the 19th century, especially during and after the Great Famine of the 1840s, carried these customs to the United States and Canada. There they mixed with other traditions and, over the early 20th century, became a community and children's holiday. The phrase 'trick or treat' became widespread in North America in the 1930s–1950s, and from there the commercial Halloween we know today was exported back around the world — including to Ireland itself.

Where to Experience Halloween's Roots Today

Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Derry's Halloween celebration is one of the largest in Europe. The 17th-century city walls become the backdrop for several days of events, usually culminating in a parade and fireworks over the River Foyle. It is the best-known place on the island of Ireland to spend October 31.

County Meath, Ireland

The Hill of Ward (Tlachtga), near Athboy in County Meath, is traditionally associated with a great Samhain fire festival, and archaeologists have identified an earthwork enclosure there. Meath's Púca Festival, named after a shape-shifting creature of Irish folklore, celebrates Samhain with music, storytelling and fire across towns in the Boyne Valley. Nearby, the neolithic passage tomb of Newgrange makes the area worth visiting in any season.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh leans into its reputation as one of Europe's most atmospheric cities in late October. Ghost walks through the Old Town closes and underground vaults run year-round and are especially popular around Halloween, and the Scottish tradition of guising is still remembered here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Halloween originally Irish?

Halloween's roots lie largely in the Gaelic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The name itself comes from the Christian All Hallows' Eve. Modern Halloween is a blend of those Gaelic customs, Christian observance and later North American traditions.

Why is Halloween on October 31?

Samhain began at sunset at the start of November, and All Hallows' Eve is the evening before All Saints' Day on November 1. Both traditions point to the night of October 31.

What were the first jack-o'-lanterns made from?

In Ireland and Scotland they were usually carved from turnips. Pumpkins became the standard only after the custom reached North America.

How do you pronounce Samhain?

In Irish it is pronounced roughly 'SOW-in', with 'sow' rhyming with 'cow'. In modern Irish, Samhain is also simply the word for the month of November.