What did you read on Wikipedia this year? From politics to pop culture, your most searched pages are a reflection of what mattered to the world in 2024. In the first ten months of the year, English Wikipedia alone received over 76 billion views. Watch to find out the most read English Wikipedia articles of 2024. Learn more ➡️ wikimediafoundation.org/news… #WikipediaYearInReview 🔊 Loyalty Freak Music, CC0

🎃✨ Unveil the ancient festival that inspired modern Halloween. Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter that is celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November. Originating over 2,000 years ago among the Celtic people, Samhain is considered a time when the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. During Samhain, communities gather to light bonfires, offer sacrifices of crops and animals, and wear costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits. These traditions were meant to protect families and livestock during the harsh winter months and to honor ancestors and departed loved ones. As centuries passed, Samhain evolved and blended with other cultural and religious practices, especially after the spread of Christianity. This fusion gave rise to All Saints' Day and, eventually, the modern celebration of Halloween. Many customs enjoyed today – such as dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and sharing stories of spirits and the supernatural – have roots in these ancient traditions. Learn more ➡️ w.wiki/9CZc