Samhain
Before 800 AD, the Samhain festival occurred October 31 and marked the beginning of Winter. It was a time for religious sacrifices, and a time when the spirits of the dead could walk among the living. In the 800s, the Christian church established All Saints' Day (a/k/a All Hallows' Day) on November 1 and reserved the day for prayer for deceased loved ones. Samhain became All Hallows' Eve, and its Pagan rituals and customs became part of All Hallows' Day. Samhain -- sometimes known as Shadowfest, Martinmas, Old Hallowmass, or The Last Harvest -- is therefore the predecessor of what we know today as Halloween.
See also: paganism, religions, mysticism, Celtic, horror, Winter
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