Halloween

Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of “All Hallows’ evening”), also known as Allhalloween,All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve,[8] is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the departed.

One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots; some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow’s Day, along with its eve, by the early Church.Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow’s Day.Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland, in the 19th century, Irish and Scottish migrants brought many Halloween customs to North America,and then through American influence, Halloween spread to many other countries by the 21st century