One possible origin for telling scary stories around Halloween is found thousands of years ago with the Celts of ancient Ireland! These Celtic Pagans worshipped the earth, and during their festival called Samhain they built bonfires and held ritual sacrifices to pay homage to their gods as well as the dead.
Celtic priests called “Druids” would read the entrails of sacrificed animals to predict the future. The Celts believed that the best time for predicting the future was when the veil between our world and the spirit world was at its thinnest! The prophecies read by the Druids would spread through Celt villages becoming stories told long into the night.
If you enjoy scary stories on Halloween, you might consider thanking the Celts!
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