Learn the history of Halloween and astound your children with your knowledge of this eerie holiday. Continue reading to learn six fascinating Halloween facts ideal for Montessori-going kids, and then share them with your family to get into the Halloween mood!p>

Halloween is a cultural melting pot.

When explaining the history of Halloween with your children, keep in mind that the festival is a mash-up of multiple festivities from various countries and religions throughout history.

Samhain was celebrated by the ancient Celtic people to commemorate the end of the harvest season. As spirits visited Earth, the line between the living and dead realms became increasingly blurred. After the Romans subjugated the Celts, their festivals of Feralia (when the Romans mourned the passing of the dead) and a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, were united with Samhain.

The Catholic celebration of All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day), which falls on November 1, also contributes to Halloween's rich history. While All Saints' Day commemorates saints who have gained heaven, All Souls' Day, observed on November 2, honors those who have died but have not yet attained paradise.

2. Once upon a time, dressing up in costumes was a means to hide from ghosts.

According to the teachers of Montessori Cerritos CA, wearing costumes began as a strategy for Celtic and other Europeans to hide from returning ghosts. People donned masks when leaving their homes after dark to fool the ghosts into thinking they were fellow spirits, and they placed bowls of food outside to keep the ghosts happy and out of their dwellings.

3. Originally, Jack-o'-lanterns were carved into turnips.

A man named Jack deceived the Devil in a popular Celtic myth. After Jack died, the Devil sent him out into the night with just a lump of smoldering coal to guide him. Jack became known as Jack of the Lantern after putting the chunk of coal in a carved-out turnip, a typical Irish vegetable.

People in Ireland and Scotland began carving their copies of Jack's lanterns and putting them near windows and doorways to ward off evil spirits, including Jack. Native pumpkins were more readily accessible than turnips when immigrants introduced the ritual to America, and jack-o'-lanterns were born.

4. Trick-or-treating may have arisen from the medieval English habit of "selling."

Poor folks would knock on doors on All Souls' Day, asking for food. In exchange, they would pray for the homeowners' deceased family.

5. In Anaheim CA preschools, kids got super excited to know that for generations, cats have been a part of the Halloween tradition.

Priests sacrificed cats (along with other animals) as part of a rite to prophesy the future during the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. During this rite, they frequently wore animal heads and skins.

6. It makes perfect sense to decorate for Halloween with black and orange.

One of the most known emblems of Halloween is the trademark color combination of black and orange. Orange, as seen through the changing leaves of fall, is also connected with Samhain bonfires and is a sign of power and perseverance. Black, the hue of death, may also represent the upcoming long and bitter winter.