Happy Halloween, everybody! According to Celtic legend, Samhain (as the pagan holiday literally means) is often translated to mean "Summer's End." It was (and still is) believed that, on this harvest festival, the veil between our world and the spirit realm is the thinnest, and may allow ghosts, demons, and evil spirits to pierce the veil and interact with the living, more often than not for malicious or evil purposes. Therefore, we wear masks to scare the evil spirits away. Thus, we dress as monsters and demons for Halloween, and proceed to "trick or treat" with others. If they do not give us a sweet treat, then a prank or a trick may be in order. Then the next time Samhain rears it's masked head, they will be more prepared. But even though the "ghosts and goblins" of today are merely children wearing masks and costumes, we must be aware that evil spirits and creatures of the night do indeed lurk in the darkness, waiting to devour the unwary...
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