If you can get past the pumpkin spiced lattes, this is a great holiday. There is something about the change of seasons, the falling leaves, the spooky themes and the idea of changing your identity, even if for only one night. Halloween doesn't have the pageantry of Christmas or the history of Thanksgiving, but it has it's own story. One of mystery, and terror, a story of superstition and respect, shrouded in the past. From the ancient Gaelic practice of dressing up to welcome and blend in with the dead around Samhain (the end of summer), comes the modern tradition of costumes. Likewise, carrying hollowed out gourds and turnips with ghoulishly carved faces acting as lanterns lit the way and warded off evil spirits.
