NexttoChristmas,HalloweenisthemostcommercializedcelebrationintheUnitedStatesandCanada.ThisancientfestivaloriginatedfarfromNorthAmericahowever,andcenturiesbeforethefirstEuropeansetfootonthecontinent.

　　TheancientDruids督伊德教(古代高卢人与不列颠人的一种宗教)的教徒whoinhabitedwhatwenowcallGreatBritainplacedgreatimportanceonthepassingofoneseasontothenext,holding"FireFestivals"whichwerecelebratedforthreedays(twodaysoneithersideofthedayitself).

　　OneofthesefestivalswascalledSamhain(pronouncedSha-Von)andittookplaceonOctober31throughtoNovember1.Duringthisperiod,itwasbelievedthattheboundariesbetweenourworldandtheworldofthedeadwereweakened,allowingspiritsoftherecentlydeadtocrossoverandpossesstheliving.

　　Inordertomakethemselvesandtheirhomeslessinvitingtothesewaywardspirits,theancientCelts（凯尔特人）woulddouse（插入水中,把弄熄,弄湿）alltheirfires.Therewasalsoasecondarypurposetothis,afterextinguishingalltheirfires,theywouldre-lightthemfromacommonsource,theDruidicfirethatwaskeptburningatUsinach,intheMiddleofIreland.

　　Samhainwasconsideredtobeagatewaynotonlyfromthelandofthedeadtothelandoftheliving,butalsobetweenSummerandFall/Winter.FortheDruids,thiswasthelastgasp（喘息,气喘）ofsummer(itwasalsotheCelticNewYear),sothereforetheymadesureitwentoutwithabangbeforetheyhadtobuttondown（把...弄清楚）forthewinterahead.

　　Theywoulddressupinbizarrecostumesandparadethroughtheirvillagescausingdestructioninordertoscareoffanyrecentlydepartedsoulswhomightbeprowling（巡游）forbodiestoinhabit,inadditiontoburninganimalsandotherofferingstotheDruidicdeities（神,神性）.Itisalsoapopularbeliefthattheywouldburnpeoplewhotheybelievedtobepossessed,butthishaslargelybeendebunked（揭穿,拆穿假面具,暴露）asmyth.

　　ThisyearlyfestivalwasadoptedbytheRomaninvaders,whohelpedtopropagate（传播,宣传）itthroughouttherestoftheworld(andatthattime,theRomanEmpirewastheworld).Theword"Halloween"itselfactuallycomesfromacontractionofAllHallowsEve,orAllSaint'sDay(November1),whichisaCatholicdayofobservanceinhonorofsaints.

　　ThistraditionwaslaterbroughttotheNorthAmericancontinentbyIrishimmigrantswhowereescapingthePotatoFamineintheirhomeland.Inadditiontothefestivalitself,theimmigrantsbroughtseveralcustomswiththem,includingoneofthesymbolsmostcommonlyassociatedwithHalloween--theJack'OLantern.

　　AccordingtoIrishfolklore,thereoncelivedamannamedJackwhowasknownforbeingadrunkandaprankster（顽皮的人,爱开玩笑的人）.OnenightJacktrickedthedevilintoclimbingatree,andquicklycarvedanimageofacrossonthetrunk,trappingthedevil.Jackthenmadehimpromisethat,inexchangeforlettinghimoutofthetree,theDevilwouldnevertempthimtosinagain.Hereluctantlyagreed,butwasabletoexacthisrevengeuponJack'sdeath.Becauseofhismischievouswaysinlife,Jackwasbarredfromenteringheavenandbecauseofhisearliertrick,hewasalsobarredfromhell.Sohewasdoomedtowandertheearthuntiltheendoftime,withonlyasingleember（灰烬,余烬）(carriedinahollowedoutturnip.[植]芜箐,芜箐甘蓝)towarmhimandlighthisway.

　　InIreland,theyoriginallyalsousedturnipsfortheir"JackLanterns",butuponarrivinginthenewworld,theydiscoveredthatpumpk