While many of us will be home for Halloween, we can still experience all the fun traditions from the home of Halloween. All the spooky traditions of Halloween we’re altering this year can actually be traced back thousands of years to Ireland — somewhere many of us would much rather be, but the virtual history lesson will have to suffice.

Photo 79727969 © Valeria Sangiovanni | Dreamstime.com

Way back in the day, some 3,000 years, in ancient Ireland, Christian Celtics believed the changing of seasons from fall to winter created an opening between the living world and the spirit world during a celebration called Samhain, marking the beginning of winter. To protect themselves from being pulled into the spirit world during the seasonal exchange, the Celts protected themselves by dressing up in homemade disguises as a way to hide from — and even scare away — roaming spirits, ghosts, demons and even fairies and hobgoblins.

Photo 197578379 © | Dreamstime.com

Along with playing dress-up and creating clever costumes, the season also welcomed large bonfires on hilltops, harvest festivals and seasonal fare. Even our beloved Jack-o-lanterns can be traced back to Ireland, only instead of using pumpkins, the Irish used turnips. After crafting homemade lanterns, the younger family members would head out “trick-or-treating,” actually an attempt for poor children to collect food for their families.

While Ireland’s many incredible festivals, celebrations and historic sites may be out of reach this year for families, history buffs and spooky travelers to visit physically, we can still celebrate from home in our own way. Check out this virtual tour here and make some plans for 2021 to keep those spirits up — see what we did there?

— Angelique Platas, associate editor