In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'sanctify'. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans' used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown. They used to consider it with all solemnity as one of the most significant observances of the Church year. And Catholics, all and sundry, was obliged to attend Mass. The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1. The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Despite this connection with the Roman Church, the American version of Halloween Day celebration owes its origin to the ancient (pre-Christian) Druidic fire festival called "Samhain", celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Samhain is pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with cow. In Ireland the festival was known as Samhein, or La Samon, the Feast of the Sun. In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en. In Welsh it's Nos Galen-gaeof (that is, the Night of the Winter Calends. According to the Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Society: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troops (esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned. also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess).(1) The Scottish Gaelis Dictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Soula. Sam + Fuin = end of summer."(2) Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "lord of death" as such. Thus most of the customs connected with the Day are remnants of the ancient religious beliefs and rituals, first of the Druids and then transcended amongst the Roman Christians who conquered them.

• A burning a candle inside a jack-o-lantern on Halloween keeps evil spirits and demons at bay.
  
  
   
• If a candle suddenly goes out by itself on Halloween, as though by breath or wind, it is believed that a ghost has come to call. 
  
  
   
• Always burn new candles on Halloween to ensure the best of luck. It is not a good idea to burn Halloween candles at any other time of the year. It may bring bad luck or strange things will happen to you, over which you will have no control.
  
  
   
• Gazing into a flame of a candle on Halloween night will enable you to peer into the future.
  
  
   
• Girls who carry a lamp to a spring of water on this night can see their future husband in the reflection. 
  
  
   
• It is believed that if a person lights a new orange coloured candle at midnight on Halloween and lets it burn until sunrise, he or she will be the recipient of good luck. 
  
  
   
• If you hear footsteps trailing close behind you on Halloween night, do not to turn around to see who it is, for it may be Death himself! To look Death in the eye, according to ancient folklore, is a sure way to hasten your own demise.
  
  
   
• To cast a headless shadow or no shadow at all is still believed by many folks in the United States and Europe to be an omen of death in the course of the next year.
  
  
   
• The old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween, and after these had burned out to make a circle of the ashes of each fire. Within this circle, and near the circumference, each member of the various families that had helped to make a fire would place a pebble. If, on the next day, any stone was displaced, or had been damaged, it was considered to be an indication that the one to whom the stone belonged would die within twelve months. 
  
  
   
• According to an old English folk belief, you will invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burnout on Halloween. To remedy the situation, the fire must be rekindled by a lighted sod brought from the home of a priest.
  
   
• If a bat flies around a house three times, it is considered to be a death omen.
  
   
• A person born on Halloween can both see and talk to spirits.
  
   
• Knocking on wood keeps bad luck away.
  
  
   
• If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you.
  
  
   
• Put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night to meet a witch. 
  
  
   
• You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits.
  
  
   
• In Britain, people believed that the Devil was a nut-gatherer. At Halloween, nuts were used as magic charms.