Where does the word Halloween come from?

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Halloween or All-Hallows-Eve takes place on the night of 31 October in anticipation of All-Hallows-Day (1st November). It has emerged from a combination of Christian and pagan traditions.

Etymology

  • Hallow is the old English word for saint.
  • Halloween is a Scottish variation dating back to the 1700s. The 'een' suffix is a contraction of 'evening'. 'Hallowed evening' or 'holy evening' was later understood to mean eve or 'night before' as with Christmas Eve 
  • All Hallows Day is now called All-Saints-Day in the Catholic calendar. It commemorates Christian martyrs
       
  • All Souls Day follows on 2 November. On All Souls Day Catholics pray for the 'souls of the (faithful) departed'.

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Halloween FAQ - brief history of Halloween customs - free 3 min read

Halloween often features in Victorian ghost stories. Read and/or listen to E. Nesbit’s ‘Man-Made-in-Marble’ retold here.