Is Halloween a Pagan festival?
Originally no, but our version had a pre-Christian influence, which has mostly been lost with North America turning it into an entirely secular celebration. All Hallows Eve means All Saints Eve because it is the night before All Saints Day. It is Catholic holiday that is still a public holiday in many countries in Europe and South America. Despite popular belief, there is no evidence that All Saints came from Samhain. All Saints began in Rome, and local feasts to honor the saints existed long before the church became established in Ireland. Later, in the early 11th century, All Souls Day was added to pray for the souls in purgatory and honor the Christian dead. There is also no direct evidence that any pagan holiday influenced the establishing of this day, but there is definitely a chance that could have been the case, since most societies had days set aside to honor the dead. Pagan Roman customs probably influenced Halloween, but the ancient Romans never get credit for these contribut
