🎃 Life with Flava: Halloween — From Spirits to Candy and Costumes

Halloween wasn’t always about costumes, pumpkins, and candy. Its roots trace back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), marking the end of harvest and the start of winter. The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead blurred on this night — so bonfires were lit, costumes were worn, and food was left out to honor visiting spirits.

Centuries later, as Christianity spread, All Saints’ Day (or All Hallows) blended into those same traditions — giving us “All Hallows Eve,” eventually shortened to Halloween.

Fast-forward to America: immigrants brought their customs, communities added pumpkins and neighborhood gatherings, and by the 1950s, trick-or-treating had become the heart of the celebration. What once honored ancestors slowly turned into a night of fun, fantasy, and creativity.

Today, Halloween is a mix of it all — ancient and modern, sacred and silly. Some light candles for loved ones who’ve passed; others throw parties or walk with their kids in glowing costumes. No matter how you celebrate, it’s still about connection — between generations, communities, and even the past and present.

🎃 Lady Flava Reflection

I see Halloween as more than a night of candy and costumes — it’s a reminder that life and death, joy and reflection, always dance together. We honor the past, we play in the present, and we create memories that one day will be remembered too.

So, light your candles, share your laughter, and wear something that makes you feel alive.