India, Oct. 30 -- Halloween may be known for costumes, candy and spooky decorations, but its roots reach into older beliefs about death, nature and the spirit world. Long before Halloween became popular in the United States, Celtic communities observed Samhain, a seasonal festival that carried deep cultural and spiritual meaning.

Samhain and Hindu traditions such as Pitru Paksha both offer ways to explore how people remember the dead. However, their origins, rituals and beliefs differ. Understanding these differences can reveal how cultures approach ancestry, loss and the unseen world.

The Celts were diverse peoples who lived across parts of western and central Europe. They shared related languages and cultural traditions, although they...