Halloween is shortened from All Hallows' Even (even being an abbreviation of evening) as it is the eve of All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day.
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, which celebrated of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits and possibly fool them. Such festivities and traditions prevailed until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1.
Below is wonderful explanation of the origin of the word (etymology) by Hot For Words:
Happy Halloween!
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