The name “Halloween” came from the old English and Scottish phrases “All Hallows’ Eve,” meaning the Eve of All Saints Day. On All Saints’ Day (November 1) we celebrate the souls that are enjoying the gift of heaven, and on All Souls’ Day (November 2) we pray for God’s mercy and grace upon the souls in Purgatory on their way to heaven. With these two days we begin the month of November which, in Catholic tradition, is dedicated to remembering the dead, including the saints (hallows), martyrs and all the faithful departed. This “All-hallow-tide” has served Christian culture as a way to remember the inevitability of death and the hope of eternal life through the grace and mercy of Christ. The historical development of Halloween is long and complicated, as noted in an article from Wikipedia. The following are some highlights from that article. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween).
One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals which are believed to have pagan roots. Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries before the immigrants took their Halloween customs to North America in the 19th century. There are records of several ancient Christian churches commemorating all the saints and martyrs on various dates, mostly in springtime. The Roman Church in Edessa (modern-day Turkey) observed this commemoration in the 4th century on May 13th. This date was chosen by Pope Boniface IV in 609 for the re-dedication of the Pantheon in Rome to "St Mary and All Martyrs".
In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III founded an oratory in St Peter’s Basilica for the relics “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors". Some sources say this oratory was dedicated on November 1st. By 800, churches in Ireland and Northumbria were holding a feast commemorating all the saints on November 1st. In 835, this became the official date of All Saint’s Day in the Frankish Empire. This date became accepted by the whole Roman Catholic Church, most likely because it was the beginning of winter (in the Northern Hemisphere); and, as it is a time of “dying” in nature, it seemed a fitting time to commemorate the dead.
What about Trick-Or-Treating? Some suggest that the origin of this custom dates back at least to the 15th century with the custom of baking and sharing “soul cakes.” This custom was found in England, Wales, Flanders, Bavaria and Austria. Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during All-hallow-tide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the friends and relatives of those giving the soul cakes. (This practice was called “souling” and is referred to in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona.)
What about wearing costumes? The wearing of costumes has been linked 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 the Middle Ages, churches in Europe let parishioners dress up as saints instead. Many Christians in mainland Europe believed that once a year, on Halloween, the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival known as the Danse Macabre. (A rendition if this danse can be seen in the 20th century film Fantasia.) This danse urged Christians not to forget the end of all earthly things. It was sometimes enacted in European village pageants with people dressing up as corpses from various strata of society, and this may be the origin of Halloween costume parties.
So there is much evidence that Halloween has its roots in Catholic culture. Unfortunately, in parts of our secular culture, it has deteriorated into a macabre focus on death, horror and evil. So if you observe Halloween, take care to baptize it with our Catholic Faith. Instead of focusing on deathly things, dress up as saints who have conquered death, and come to Mass on Friday to celebrate them. Then come to Mass on Saturday to pray for the Souls in Purgatory. Let us reclaim the meaning of All-Hallow-Tide: that “we are God’s children now;” and one day “we shall be like [God], for we shall see Him as He is” (John 3:2, 2nd reading of All Saints Day).