(SPOOKY ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS) (SCREAMING)
Hello.
Well, it's that spooky time of year again.
(SCREAMING)
It also happens to be Halloween.
(THUNDER RUMBLES) (LAUGHS CREEPILY)
(SCREAMING)
Right, who keeps screaming?
(SCREAMS) Oh. Sorry!
Where was I?
Ah, yes. (LAUGHS CREEPILY)
Halloween.
That time of year when the veil between the living
and the dead is...unveiled.
But where did it all start?
Now, I must warn you, it's a little spooky.
(LAUGHS CREEPILY)
(COUGHS) Whoa.
Roll the clip. (CLEARS THROAT)
The exact origins of Halloween are a little mysterious,
but most people agree it started thousands of years ago
with the Celtic festival called Samhain.
It was celebrated in parts of Ireland,
the UK and Northern France.
It marked the end of autumn and the Celtic New Year.
It was believed that on that night, just before the New Year began,
the gates between the living and the dead would open.
To ward off any spooky spirits, villagers would light bonfires,
leave offerings of food,
and disguise themselves as ghosts to blend in.
Whoo! Ooh! Oooh!
Whoo!
Later, Christianity came to Europe,
bringing with it a new calendar and some new holidays,
including Allhallows Eve
on October 31st,
which just so happened to be around the same time as Samhain.
Put them together and what do you get?
Sallowmhs Eve.
Wait. That doesn't sound right.
Halloween! (LAUGHS) Much better.
(LAUGHS CREEPILY)
(EVIL LAUGHTER ECHOES) Ooh, yes.
The spooky holiday became a tradition,
and eventually found its way to the US,
where it really took off.
Children loved to get dressed up and go guising,
as it was called back then,
asking for food and money in exchange for songs.
These days, we call it trick or treating.
Some other very old Halloween traditions have stuck around
Like Jack O'lanterns which come from a Celtic folk tale
about a stingy farmer called Jack who would constantly play tricks on the devil.
As punishment he was forced to wonder this earth for eternity
with only a lantern carved out of a turnip.
...or a, um... pumpkin... I guess?
[music gets louder drowning out his words]
Oooooo, Ooooo.... spooky...
Of course, Halloween isn't nearly as big here
as it is in the US,
but experts reckon it is getting bigger.
Not that everyone's on board with the spooky spirit.
Some people are not big on the idea of kids
going door to door asking for food,
and some reckon it's just encouraging us
to buy and eat stuff we don't really need.
After all, all that sugary food can be bad for your teeth.
Which is why I always plan my dentist appointment
around this spooky time of year.
Hello, Dr Bickmore.
Dr. Bickmore: Say "Ahh". Jack: Ahhhh!