A closer look at Samhain, the Celtic ancestor of Halloween

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Thursday, October 21, 2021 - 12:43pm

Audio icon Download mp3 (12.25 MB)

carved pumpkin
Amanda Luberto/KJZZ
Many people create jack-o'-lanterns to celebrate Halloween.

Halloween is coming fast. The decorations and candy are everywhere. Skeletons and corpses and pumpkins are everywhere. And all of that got The Show wondering why we celebrate all of these scary things this time of year.

Emily Zarka is a faculty associate in Arizona State University's English department and is writer and host of "Monstrum" for PBS.

The Show spoke with her and found out that all of this traces back to a Celtic holiday called Samhain.

More Stories From KJZZ

The Show Arts + Entertainment