Halloween's Here: Get Your Turnips...uhh... Pumpkins Ready?!

All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween as it is commonly referred, is a global celebration on October 31. It developed from the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, which was, in the simplest terms, a festival celebrating the changing of the seasons from summer to winter. This would usually take place around November 1.

Traditionally, a bonfire would be lit, sweets would be prepared, and costumes would be worn to ward off evil spirits as the ancient Celts believed that, at this time of year, the veil separating the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest.

Early Christian officials tried to impose their own holiday in an effort to stop their converts from practicing non-Christian festivals. Pope Gregory III deemed November 1, All Saints' Day, a celebration of Christian martyrs and saints, and November 2 became All Souls Day, a day for remembering the souls of the dead.  All Saints' Day later became known as All Hallows' Day, and the previous day, October 31, became known as All Hallows' Eve, then later, Halloween.

While Halloween originated in Europe, the holiday became the celebration we recognize today when it was brought to America by the early settlers. People originally carved out turnips and placed candles inside to ward off evil spirits, but Americans switched from turnips to pumpkins.

Happy Halloween from Carmel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons. Have fun carving your pumpkins or your turnips!