One obvious question
about Halloween is, "What does the word itself mean?" The name is
actually a shortened version of "All Hallows' Even," the eve of All
Hallows' Day. "Hallow" is an Old English word for "holy
person," and All Hallows' Day is simply another name for All Saints' Day is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on 31
October. Halloween the celebration came from ancient Ireland.
Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern
Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about
costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest
season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition
between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead. Over the
millennia the holiday transitioned from a somber pagan ritual to a day of
merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.