Halloween is also called All Saints Eve (or All Hallows Eve), because November 1 is All Saints Day. The following day, November 2, is also traditionally celebrated in parts of the British Isles. What is it called?
A) Aftermath Day B) All Souls Day ü C) Guy Fawkes Day D) St. Swithin’s Day
In 835, an edict of Pope Gregory IV moved All Saints (or All Hallows Day) from April 20 to November 1. At that time days were reckoned as beginning on the previous evening. The result of this, as Gregory may well have intended, was that the old pagan feast on the night of Samhain was gradually assimilated into Christian tradition as All Hallows Even, or Hallowe’en. Nowadays even the tell-tale apostrophe is usually omitted. In about 998, the date of All Souls Day was set to November 2. One tradition that lasted until well into the twentieth century was that of “souling” — singing door to door in exchange for treats.
