Hi, BTN. My name is Shelby.
My question is - why do we celebrate Halloween?
Look at all these lollies!
I can't wait to eat them all.
RUBY CORNISH: (RECITES) # Halloween had arrived on a warm day in spring
# And young trick-or-treaters were doing their thing
# Among them this trio was going door to door
# They had a good haul but they wanted more
# They walked up to a house on a quiet back street
# And as the door opened they asked...
ALL: # Trick or treat?
# A ghastly figure replied...
# Here's some goodies I baked
# And the zombie picked out a frosted cupcake
# But he discovered a note where there should have been cream
# And it read...
# Your treat is the story behind Halloween
# The three friends looked up at the vampire in surprise
# A mischievous glimmer had appeared in her eyes
# She said...
# Let me tell you of Halloween's history
# And the holiday might become less of a mystery
# The friends exchanged glances and then said...
(DISAPPOINTED) # Yeah, OK
# Because they knew very little about this spooky holiday. #
No, no! (SCREAMS)
OK, so maybe Halloween isn't your thing.
After all, it has not been a very big deal
here in Australia in the past.
Happy Halloween!
But every year, it is becoming more and more popular here.
Its exact origins are a bit mysterious
but it is believed to have roots in ancient Celtic traditions,
dating back at least 2,000 years.
Farmers living in a part of the world now known as Ireland
held a festival called Samhain.
And, yes, it's really spelt like that.
It was to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter.
See, back then, the Celts celebrated their New Year on the 1st of November
and the day before that was seen as a time when the realms of the living
and the dead became blurred.
So villages lit bonfires believing they were warding off evil spirits
and dressed up as demons so that if they happened to bump into one,
it wouldn't bat an eyelid.
In the ninth century, Christianity arrived in Celtic lands,
bringing with it a holiday called All Saints' Day -
a day for people to remember and honour saints.
The day before it was called All Hallow's Eve.
Because they were held on the same day,
it is thought that Samhain and All Hallow's Eve eventually merged
to become the occasion we now call Halloween.
Irish immigrants took the tradition to the US, where it took off.
Dressing up and trick-or-treating became big in the 1930s.
And it has been helped along ever since by the companies
that make money selling lollies and costumes
and pumpkins and all the rest.
(RECITES) # So the real reasons behind Halloween
# The vampire said
# Are a farewell to summer and ward off the undead
# To remember the saints and the faithful who have gone
# Out of nowhere the cat said
# Well, I think you're wrong
# That might be why pagans began the tradition
# But these days Halloween has a new definition
# For us it's all about getting dressed up
# And seeing how much junk food we can round up
# The bloodsucker nodded
# She knew they were right
# These days Halloween was a different kind of night
# She handed over her plateful of sweets
# And the cat, ghost and zombie headed back to the street. #
Look at all this chocolate you got!
I know. Chocolate is my favourite.