The Origin of the name Halloween

All Hallow's Eve

The form "Halloween" derives from Hallowe'en, an old contraction, still retained in Scotland , of "All Hallow's Eve," so called as it is the day before the Catholic All Saints holy day, which used to be called "All Hallows," derived from All Hallowed Souls.

Hallow Eve

In Ireland , the name was Hallow Eve and this name is still used by some older people. Halloween was formerly also sometimes called All Saints' Eve.

The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries (along with Christmas and Easter, two other traditional northern European pagan holidays) and given a Christian reinterpretation.

Day of the Dead

Halloween is also known as the Day of the Dead, and it is a day of celebration for Wiccans and other modern pagan traditions, though the holiday has lost its religious connotations among the populace at large.

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Halloween Celebrations

Countries in the World Where People Celebrate Halloween

It is celebrated in much of the Western world, though most commonly in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Canada and sometimes in Australia and New Zealand. Irish, Scots and other immigrants brought older versions of the tradition to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries have embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture in the late 20th century.

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