Item# 26021 Merck Family's Old World Christmas Skull ornament measures approximately 2 1/2", made of mouth blown, hand painted glass. Frightful skull head with dark sunken eyes and eerie red grin. Halloween has its origins in the ancient festival of Samhain, the Celtic New Year, when spirits were allowed to return to earth to visit. Christianity incorporated this into All Hallow's Eve, October 31, prior to All Saints Day. The Irish brought Halloween to American in the 1840s, with the tradition of dressing in costumes and playing pranks in the hope of keeping evil spirits away.