What does Halloween mean?

Definitions for Halloween
ˌhæl əˈwin, -oʊˈin, ˌhɒl-hal·loween

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Halloween.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. Halloween, Hallowe'en, Allhallows Evenoun

    the evening before All Saints' Day; often devoted to pranks played by young people

Wiktionary

  1. Halloweennoun

    The eve of All Hallows' Day; 31st October; celebrated (mostly in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and Ireland) by children going door-to-door in costume and demanding candy with menaces.

  2. Etymology: A shortening of Allhallow-even (Eve of All Saints).

Wikipedia

  1. Halloween

    Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, 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. Some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with its eve, by the early Church. Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow's Day. Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants took many Halloween customs to North America in the 19th century, and then through American influence Halloween had spread to other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century.Popular Halloween activities 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 scary stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films. Some people practice the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, although it is a secular celebration for others. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.

ChatGPT

  1. halloween

    Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31st, originating from the ancient Celtic festival Samhain. The holiday is characterized by activities like trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns, bonfires, visiting haunted houses, and participating in various festive gatherings. The occasion is often associated with themes of horror, death, magic and mythical creatures. It is recognized in many Western countries, and is especially popular in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Halloweennoun

    the evening preceding Allhallows or All Saints' Day

Wikidata

  1. Halloween

    Halloween or Hallowe'en, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianised feast originally influenced by western European harvest festivals, and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots. Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

Suggested Resources

  1. halloween

    Song lyrics by halloween -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by halloween on the Lyrics.com website.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Halloween in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Halloween in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Halloween in a Sentence

  1. Though Cara:

    Cara said. (SWNS.com) But the family loves her unique look and have nicknamed her 'Einstein 2.0' after the scientist, whose shock of static white hair is also rumored to have been caused by UHS. In the end we just gave up and dressed her up as Albert Einstein for Halloween.

  2. Regina Hansen:

    There are countries that have All Saints' celebrations or Day of the Dead or All Souls Day type of celebrations that are not Halloween, they are different things that happen to occur at the same time.

  3. Sheriff Long:

    Deputies will have candy in their patrol vehicles and will interact with the children until the neighborhood is clear of trick-or-treaters to ensure the safety of our children on Halloween night.

  4. Justin Gimelstob:

    I'm stepping down because my job is to work on the sport's behalf and the players' behalf and in my situation, I've become too much of a distraction and a liability, i take responsibility for that, and I take responsibility for the mistakes I made Halloween night.

  5. Bon Appetit:

    From an extremely ill-conceived Halloween costume 16 years ago to my blind spots as an editor, I've not championed an inclusive vision.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Halloween#1#5691#10000

Translations for Halloween

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"Halloween." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Halloween>.

Discuss these Halloween definitions with the community:

1 Comment
  • Sandy Thomas
    Sandy Thomas
    Halloween
    Halloween or Hallowe'en, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianised feast originally influenced by western European harvest festivals, and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots. Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. 
    LikeReply 29 years ago

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