Halloween is a famous and well celebrated holiday in current times. But before being known as Halloween, it was known by many other names; such as “All-Hallowmas'' and “All Hallows Day.” Both are alternate names for Halloween, but there are a plethora of other names as well. A “Hallow” is another name for a holy person, and “een” is a derivation of the word “eve”. November first is “All Saints Day,” so Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day. Halloween as a word was popularized by a Scottish poet, Robert Burns. His poem is called “Halloween” and it came out in 1785.
Halloween is a day that has been celebrated for many years, but it was not always just about going to your neighbors and getting free candy. The celebration of Halloween began with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. During this festival, people would wear costumes and light bonfires in order to repel ghosts.
Halloween day marked the beginning of the “darker time,” which additionally signified the weakening of the separation between the normal world and the otherworld. This is why things like ghosts and other underworldly creatures are mascots of Halloween.
The Celts used to celebrate their new year's day on November 1st, so October 31st was their new years eve. Again, this transitioned into the “darker time.” Many would die because the living conditions in winter were unbearable, which would in turn make more ghosts and draw already existing ghosts closer.
Now, Halloween is about carving pumpkins and wearing costumes; along with trying to scare everyone to death.
