Halloween.

[Teresa]

Here in the Northern Hemisphere that wintery time of year swings around again and brings the first major date of our Autumnal holiday calendar - Halloween.

Behind the name 'Halloween' hides the meaning 'All Hallows Eve', or the night before 'All Saints', or 'All Souls' Day, observed on November 1 in the Roman Catholic Church.

In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'sanctify' and Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherians used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown and used the Eve of this day to give rest and peace to the departed.
They used to consider it with all solemnity as one of the most significant observances of the Church year.

In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en and in Ireland the Irish Texts Society define this date as: 'Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May'.

Modern celebrations tie both of these notions together and Halloween is a date to honor the dead and to lay them to rest before the Saintly celebrations which occur on the following day.

During the mid-1900's, trick-or-treating became popular in large cities where many neighbors did not know each other and people dressed up as ghouls, ghosts and witches to try and scare one another.
Family parties and large community celebrations gained popularity and today, many communities sponsor bonfires, costume parades, dances, skits, and other forms of entertainment to celebrate Halloween.