It is apparent that Halloween is coming soon just drive down Colorado Boulevard passed the Evans intersection.

Though scary for some, Halloween is a day many individuals look forward as being the only day in the calendar year to be someone else. They cannot resist the allure of causing mischief while snacking on treats.

Most of us consider what costume to wear, which friends to go out with and what candies to eat, but we rarely question the origin of Halloween in the first place.

Something most people don’t know is that Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain more than 2,000 years ago.

The Celts celebrated their New Year on Nov. 1, making Oct. 31 to be the last day of the year. A myth from this time said that on the last day of the year the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, allowing ghosts to cause mischeif, ruin crops and play jokes.

It was also believed that during this evening of chaos between life and death Celtic priests could predict future events.

During the Samhain festival the Celts wore costume usually of animal fur and tried to predict each other’s future as part of the celebrated tradition.

Through years of religious changes and cultural alterations in Europe, Sahmain gradually was changed to a holiday called All-Hallows, which finally evolved into the Halloween Americans celebrate today.