All Hallows Eve & The History of Halloween

Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day which is also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar or Hallowmas on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd.  Giving the holiday on October 31st the full name of All Hallows' Eve (meaning the evening before All Hallows' Day).  The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself.  

Halloween began as the festival of Samhain and was part of the ancient Celtic religion in Britain and other parts of Europe.  Historians have linked Halloween to the Celtic festival of the summer's end celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.  At the end of summer, the Celts thought the barrier between our world and the world of ghosts and spirits got really thin.  According to Celtic mythology, the veil between the Otherworld and our world thins during Samhain, making it easier for spirits and the souls of the dead to return.  So where does the name itself come from?  Research shows that It's actually two words combined together. "Hallow" (or Holy Person), refers to the saints celebrated on All Saints' Day.  The "een" part of the word is a contraction of "eve" — or evening before.

Trick or treating beings with a Christian feast dedicated to celebrating the faithful departed, including all the saints. In Christian tradition, people start celebrating major feasts the night before they take place (much like Christmas Eve).  People would make offerings of food in order to get on the good side of these spirits and departed ancestors.  Modern day trick-or-treating is a confluence of various traditions.  In medieval England, "soulers" would go around begging rich folk for "soul cakes" on Halloween. Instead of threatening to play tricks, however, they'd pray for peoples' souls in return for the cake.