When most people think of Halloween,
they think of trick-or-treating,
parades,
bobbing for apples
and other family-friendly activities.
But bet you didn't know the true story
behind the ancient origins of Halloween.
It all goes back some 2,000 years
to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain,
celebrated on November 1st.
On the night before Samhain,
people believed that the dead returned as ghosts.
They would leave food and wine on their doorsteps
to keep roaming spirits at bay,
and wore masks when they left the house
so they'd be mistaken for fellow ghosts.
The Christian church turned Samhain into All Saints Day
or All Hallows in the 8th century.
The night before became All Hallows' Eve,
later shortened to Halloween.
You've heard of trick-or-treating on Halloween,
but what about souling or guising?
All three of these traditions originated
in medieval Britain.
On All Souls' Day, November 2nd,
the needy would beg for pastries known as soul cakes.
In return, they would pray for people's dead relatives.
This was called souling.
In the medieval Halloween tradition of guising
young people would dress up in costumes
and accept food, wine, money and other offerings
in exchange for singing, reciting poetry or telling jokes.
In 19th-century America
Irish and Scottish immigrants revived these old traditions
The result was trick-or-treating.
At first, it was much more about the tricks,
in the form of pranks and hijinks,
than the treats.
It wasn't until the 1950's that the custom took on
its current, family-friendly, kid-centred form.
Today, Halloween is big business.
With US consumer spending more than 2.5 billion
on costumes annually.
Add in the candy and it's estimated that Americans
spend up to 6 billion on Halloween each year,
making it the second most commercial holiday after Christmas.
So whether you're a fan of tricks, treats, or trivia,
there's a bit of Halloween history we bet you didn't know.