Halloween

Origin of: Halloween

Halloween

Halloween is a contraction of ‘All hallow even’ the eve of All Hallows Day, hallow being an obsolete, Old English word for a saint, hence the modern All Saints’ Day, which is celebrated by most Christian churches on 1st November. Halloween, the eve of All Saints’ Day would typically be celebrated on 31st October. The word Halloween is first cited from the mid-1500s.