WEBVTT

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When most people think of Halloween,

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they think of trick-or-treating,

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parades,

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bobbing for apples

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and other family-friendly activities.

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But bet you didn't know the true story

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behind the ancient origins of Halloween.

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It all goes back some 2,000 years

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to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain,

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celebrated on November 1st.

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On the night before Samhain,

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people believed that the dead returned as ghosts.

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They would leave food and wine on their doorsteps

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to keep roaming spirits at bay,

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and wore masks when they left the house

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so they'd be mistaken for fellow ghosts.

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The Christian church turned Samhain into All Saints Day

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or All Hallows in the 8th century.

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The night before became All Hallows' Eve,

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later shortened to Halloween.

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You've heard of trick-or-treating on Halloween,

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but what about souling or guising?

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All three of these traditions originated

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in medieval Britain.

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On All Souls' Day, November 2nd,

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the needy would beg for pastries known as soul cakes.

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In return, they would pray for people's dead relatives.

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This was called souling.

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In the medieval Halloween tradition of guising

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young people would dress up in costumes

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and accept food, wine, money and other offerings

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in exchange for singing, reciting poetry or telling jokes.

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In 19th-century America

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Irish and Scottish immigrants revived these old traditions

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The result was trick-or-treating.

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At first, it was much more about the tricks,

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in the form of pranks and hijinks,

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than the treats.

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It wasn't until the 1950's that the custom took on

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its current, family-friendly, kid-centred form.

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Today, Halloween is big business.

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With US consumer spending more than 2.5 billion

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on costumes annually.

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Add in the candy and it's estimated that Americans

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spend up to 6 billion on Halloween each year,

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making it the second most commercial holiday after Christmas.

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So whether you're a fan of tricks, treats, or trivia,

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there's a bit of Halloween history we bet you didn't know.