Halloween , or Hallowe'en [ 7 ] [ 8 ] less commonly known as Allhalloween , [ 9 ] All Hallows' Eve , [ 10 ] or All Saints' Eve , [ 11 ] is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide , [ 12 ] the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints hallows , martyrs , and all the faithful departed.
One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals , particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain , which are believed to have pagan roots. Popular activities during Halloween include trick-or-treating or the related guising and souling , attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns , lighting bonfires , apple bobbing , divination games, playing pranks , visiting haunted attractions , telling frightening stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films.
Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices. Commemorations of all saints and martyrs were held by several churches on various dates, mostly in springtime. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III β founded an oratory in St Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors". By the end of the 12th century, the celebration had become known as the holy days of obligation in Western Christianity and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for souls in purgatory.
It was also "customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls". This was called "souling". Shakespeare mentions souling in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh linked the wearing of costumes to the belief in vengeful ghosts : "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world.
In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes". In Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation , as Protestants berated purgatory as a " popish " doctrine incompatible with the Calvinist doctrine of predestination.
