Halloween originally celebrated as a Pagan holy day called “All Hallows Eve,” served as a powerful occasion when spirits could roam the earth and communicate with the living.
Over time, people shortened this phrase in everyday speech; “All Hallows’ Eve” or “All Hallows’ Even” eventually became Hallowe’en. Gradually, the apostrophe and extra syllables disappeared, leading to our modern term, Halloween.
The word “Halloween” stems from All-Hallows-Eve, marking the end of All-Hallows-Day, also known as All-Saints-Day. While today All-Saints-Day is celebrated the day after Halloween, they were originally observed together.
Satanists have adopted Halloween as one of their three main seasonal celebrations, alongside Walpurgis Night on May 1 and the Satanist’s birthday. The term itself derives from “Hallows Evening,” and the correct spelling is actually “Hallowe’en.”
Other names for Halloween include Samhain, The Feast of the Dead, All Hallows Eve, Day of the Dead, All Hallowtide, and Devil’s Day. It’s worth noting that the Day of the Dead is part of a multi-day celebration, often referred to as El Dia de los Muertos by Spanish-speaking communities.
Content for this question contributed by Marcie Hrin, resident of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, USA
