NY Dispatch: Like many of our modern traditions, the origins of Halloween can be traced back millennia to pagan rituals. Celtic-speaking countries held fall celebrations to mark the end of the harvest and the transition into winter. These traditions may stem back to ancient Roman feasts and festivals for the dead, known as Parentalia, which became more commonly known as Samhain, an old Irish word that means “summer’s end.” Samhain was one of the most important holidays in the Gaelic calendar in ...