What is the history behind Halloween and who celebrates it?
Avoid the History Channel. It is full of rubbish, not history. Hallowe’en is short for All Hallows Evening. Hallows is old English meaning “Holy” or “Saint”. It is the evening of All Saints Day (with day counted from sun set to sun set making it is the evening before the day). All Saints Day is a festival started about 1200 years ago by the Catholic Pope in Rome on November 1st as a time to celebrate all holy people who have died are are now, as Christians believe, with God. Later another day was added, November 2nd, called All Souls Day when people can remember and pray for everyone who has died. This festival became very popular and spread all around Europe reaching The British Isles after about 50 years. The Irish, who had been Christians for 300 years, adopted the festival which replaced their existing one in the spring. In the 16th century, some Christians, known as protestants, broke away from the Catholic church and formed various smaller churches some of which took a very anti-
