If Halloween is one of your favorite holidays, you can thank the Celts.
Back in ancient times, the Celtic peoples (whose descendants include the Irish, Welsh, Scots and Bretons) celebrated the Samhain festival, when the souls of the dead were set free for one night to roam the Earth. People lit bonfires to help guide these souls back to the land of the dead. They wore scary costumes to frighten the souls away from the living. They also offered food to appease potentially threatening spirits.
Today, people still light bonfires, dress up and hand out food (mostly candy) on October 31, but for fun. Halloween is hugely popular in America and around the world.
Hong Kong
For some, like this young child at a Halloween festival in Hong Kong, the more elaborate the costume the better.
Germany
These revelers walk beside witch figures and creepy surprises during sunset at the Halloween celebration in a Leipzig amusement park.
South Africa
The Johannesburg Zoo hosts hundreds of Halloween partygoers.
Brazil
Get your Halloween decorations here! This store at the SAARA street market in Rio de Janeiro offers a scary display for people exploring the neighborhood, known as “Centro” in Portuguese.
Lebanon
At a Halloween street party in downtown Beirut, two women put on frightening faces as they join in the fun.
Japan
People clad in Halloween costumes react to cameras as they march down a main street in Kawasaki, near Tokyo.
New York, USA
Promoting the Halloween premiere of the U.S. television series The Walking Dead, a group of “zombies” shamble along the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
