On October 31st, the eve of All Saints Day, we celebrate Halloween.        

The tradition of Halloween began way back in the fifth century BC by the Irish Celts, who

organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one

year to the next on October 31st. 

The story goes that during the transition spirits would return to earth, looking for living bodies

to possess for the following year. The Celts would then dress up in ghoulish costumes to parade around the

community to frighten them away.

Years later, the tradition of trick-or-treating is thought to have grown from a ninth century European custom, when

early Christians would make house calls begging for soul cakes. It was thought that even strangers could help a soul’s

passage to heaven by saying prayers, so, in exchange for a cake they promised to pray for the donor’s deceased

relatives. Where does the name Halloween come from? In the year 835AD the Roman Catholic Church made

November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day is called All Saint’s Day. It used to be also known as

Hallowmas or All Hallows. Gradually, over the years, October 31st became known as All Hallow Even ( evening ),

eventually All Hallow’s Eve, and then Halloween as we know it today. ( the word hallow means saint )