"Halloween or Hallowe´en (a contraction of Hallows´ Even or Hallows´ Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows´ Eve, or All Saints´ Eve, is a celebration observed in several countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows´ Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.[10][11]
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianized as Halloween by the early Church.[12][13][14][15][16] Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain.[17][18][19][20]" - (en.wikipedia.org 02.03.2020)
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