Curious ^^p
2007-12-07 16:18:56 · 6 answers · asked by xMakavelix 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
It means All Hallows or All Saints Eve.
halloween
noun
the evening before All Saints' Day; often devoted to pranks played by young people
Origin of the name Halloween -
c.1745, Scottish shortening of Allhallow-even "Eve of All Saints, last night of October" (1556), the last night of the year in the old Celtic calendar, where it was Old Year's Night, a night for witches.
Another pagan holiday given a cursory baptism and sent on its way.
Hallowmas "All-saints" is first attested 1389.
2007-12-07 16:23:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Halloween; when I was a kid, it was "hall'o'ween, showing that it was a contraction from "hallo" or sacred, "of" and "eve" or evening. So, it means hallowed evening. November 1 is All Saints Day, so Halloween refers to the evening BEFORE the Saints Day.
It was the last time that the evil, in the form of witches, ghosts and goblins could come out before the saints would overcome them.
2007-12-08 00:58:52 · answer #2 · answered by Nothingusefullearnedinschool 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It started out as All Hallows Even and, over time, got shortened to Halloween
2007-12-08 00:26:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yup, it's the shortening of All Hallow's Eve. As many are aware, it's also a Celtic holiday called Samhain. (Pronounced sow-en.) All Hallow's, a Catholic holiday coincided with the Celtic holiday honoring the dead and the harvest.
2007-12-08 00:47:13 · answer #4 · answered by Prop Forward 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a contraction of All Hallows Eve.
2007-12-08 00:23:17 · answer #5 · answered by Lisa A 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe from the word hollow!! eek!! scary..
2007-12-08 00:28:25 · answer #6 · answered by j0r0 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋