Halloween is all about the creepy decorations, and kids dressed in adorable costumes. Perhaps it’s better that kids don’t yet know the history behind the day though. All those decorations are just there for pictures as far as they’re concerned.

A lot of these symbols have their roots in the history of Halloween. The pagan festival of Samhain is thought to be the most direct ancestor of the celebration, a time when the spirit world was closest to our world. The symbols today have been watered down, made for entertainment more than scaring others outright but they boast of a dark history. One every ghoul-loving individual should know about.