Fred Batt On The History Of Halloween In The Build Up To Most Haunted's Live Event

As the Most Haunted team prepare for their live investigation on October 31st, Fred Batt takes some time out to remind us all about the true meaning of Halloween.

Speaking in a video shot in the drawing room of his historic home, the Clock House in Surrey, television's best-known demonologist spoke about the origins of every ghost hunters' favourite festival, Halloween - or to use it its original Pagan name, Samhain.

In the video Fred informs us that "the ancient Celts saw Samhain as a very spiritual time, because October 31st lies exactly between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It's a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was said to be at its thinnest, therefore enabling easier communication with the spirits of the dead."

Fred continues, "Celtic people considered it their New Year, because it marked the death of the old year and the beginning of life of the new year."

Although for most of us the name Samhain has been lost in time, many of the ancient traditions of the festival have remained, including the origins of Halloween costumes. By dressing as ghosts, monsters and demons, it was believed that they would blend in with any spirits coming through from the other side while the veil was thin.

So, why did Samhain slip from our calendars? Well, Fred says that around the eighth century, like several other Pagan festivals, it was adopted by the Christian Church, "it was the day before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day, hence it became known as All Hallows Eve, and eventually was morphed into what we now know as Halloween."

"This was a smart, cunning move by the Christian Church," Fred says, it helped the transition of the believers to accept new religion without them having to give up their old practices and traditions.

Most Haunted's Halloween investigation takes place on October 31st and will be streamed live between 9pm and midnight on the show's official YouTube channel. The event will see Yvette Fielding and the team investigating the ghostly goings on at the abandoned, decaying and haunted old police station and courts in Accrington.

For the first time in almost ten years, the team will be joined by a live audience of around 60 people, who if they're lucky, may get the chance to take part in an investigation with Yvette and the team. The team will also be attempting a "never before seen paranormal experiment."

You can find out more about the Halloween special, how to watch, and get all the gossip by clicking here.