What is Halloween?

Halloween [hal-uh-ween, -oh-een, hol-] - n. :the evening of October 31; the eve of All Saints' Day; Allhallows Eve: observed esp. by children in costumes who solicit treats, often by threatening minor pranks. [Halloween. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) from Dictionary.com]

Allhallows Eve - n. : the evening before All Saints' Day; often devoted to pranks played by young people. [allhallows eve. (n.d.). WordNet® 2.0. from Dictionary.com]

Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets. The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day" or "All Saints Day". This is also know as mischief night in many communities. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions until christianity morphed it into what is resembles today. And because of this, Halloween is sometimes associated with the occult.

Halloween did not become a holiday in America until the 19th century, where lingering Puritan tradition meant even Christmas was scarcely observed before the 1800s. North American almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th centuries make no mention of Halloween in their lists of holidays. [see WikiPedia for more on Halloween & Trick-or-Treating]