Halloween Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of Hallows' Even or Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in several countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that
All-Hallows-the-Less All-Hallows-the-Less All-Hallows-the-Less (also known as "All-Hallows-upon-the-Cellar") was a church in the City of London. Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt. The church stood on the south side of Thames Street in Dowgate ward, to the east of the All Hallows the Great. In some early records it is called "Allhallows on the Cellars", as it stood on vaults. The steeple and choir were built over an arched gateway, which formed the entrance to a house called Cold Harbour. The area was known as "The Ropery". The first mention of