Halloween is thought to have strong pagan beginnings, it has also been linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, this was a time of communities preparing for the winter months, and people’s thoughts focus on the supernatural. At this time the Irish built bonfires where they invoked the help of the gods, they sacrificed animals during their rituals, and possibly there were human sacrifices. The pagan origins of Halloween come from symbolic practices and are remembered as a time of supernatural energies denoting winter’s beginning, it was also a time when the souls of the dead would revisit their old homes to find comfort by their hearths and enjoy the atmosphere of the home. In Celtic lore winter was considered the dark time of the year, while summer returned to the underworld.