Traditional Roots: In its current incarnation, Halloween...

Traditional Roots: In its current incarnation, Halloween is a time when thousands of amateur ghosts, witches and goblins take to their neighborhood streets in search of treats by the bagful. . . . But Oct. 31 is rooted in more spiritual events. The holiday originated from the Druid festival marking the traditional end of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the Christian feast of All Saint’s Day.

Scary Stories: Halloween wouldn’t be the same without a good ghost story. But one need not go far for tales of tortured souls and restless spirits. At some of the Valley’s historical sites, such as Leonis Adobe in Calabasas, there have been reports of footsteps and thuds. . . . At Plum Canyon in Saugus, near where Spanish soldiers were ambushed by Indians in 1821, locals swear they have heard the sound of cannon fire, blowing horns and creaking wagon wheels.

Costume Ball: Helped by shows such as “The X-Files” and the summer blockbuster “Independence Day,” space aliens are hot-selling costumes this season, according to Bruce Gold, general manager of Cinema Secrets in Burbank. “No licensed characters have taken off,” but “aliens are very popular.” So are “prosthetics--with scars, spikes and bullet holes,” Gold said. Capes are “flying out the window,” said Del Howison, a co-owner of the gothic costume store Dark Delicacies in Burbank. “Bat necklaces and coffin rings are also big.”

Pumpkin Patch: Of all the Halloween traditions, few are more beloved than the carving of the jack-o’-lantern. As legend has it, the ritual was introduced by Irish immigrants who hollowed out potatoes, turnips and rutabagas. Candles were used to illuminate the carved faces, which doubled as lanterns.