2. European History
• Halloween is an annual holiday,
celebrated each year on October 31, that
has roots in age-old European traditions.
• In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III
designated November 1 as a time to honor
all saints.
• The evening before was known as All
Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.
3. American History
• Originally there was an Autumn festival
held to celebrate the harvest, where
neighbors would share stories of the dead,
tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing.
• Around 1950, America was flooded with
Irish Immigrants. They helped to
popularize the celebration of Halloween
nationally.