Halloween as we know it today has evolved from many ancient traditions. One group of people known as the Celts lived hundreds of years ago. The Celts worshipped many gods, particularly those associated with nature. The most important god to the Celtic people was the god of the sun, as he controlled their life schedule. The Celts believed that their work time and their rest time was controlled by the sun god, as well as the success of their crops and other things that grew and made the earth beautiful. Every November 1st, the Celts would have a festival that became known as “All Saints Day.” The celebration marked the end of the Celtic “season of the sun” and began the season of darkness and cold.

The Celtic people believed that during the season of darkness, the sun was taken away and hidden by Samhain, who was Lord of the dead, and Prince of the Darkness. Legend has it, that the night before All Saints Day (October 31), Samhain would call together all the spirits of the dearly departed who would take on different forms on this hallowed night. The legend is that the most evil of the spirits took on the form of animals. The most evil of the evil spirits took on the form of cats!

The Halloween that we celebrate today has its roots in the ancient traditions of the Celts and other groups of people. Although our reasons for celebrating are very different than the historic peoples of yesteryear, Halloween traditions are still with us and are an integral part of the holiday.

Decorating your home for Halloween is the perfect time to bring to your home some of the old traditions, and also its fun to integrate more modern ideas into your celebration as well. Our selection of home décor will give you plenty to choose from, for whatever your decorating needs are, from the fun and whimsical to the horrifying and gruesome. There is something here for every level of Halloween haunting!