Christians in many countries around the world are celebrating All Saints’ Day, a somber and spiritual day in the church’s liturgical calendar that shares pagan roots with Halloween. Believers and non-believers alike will gather Friday with family, sweep fallen leaves off the graves of their loved ones and cover them with votive candles and flowers. The word “Halloween” derives from “All Hallows Eve,” which means the eve of All Hallows, or All Saints’ Day. Scholars believe Halloween emerged primarily from an ancient Celtic festival that occurred during the harvest season. As Christianity spread, many pagan rituals were adopted and adapted to the new faith to be more attractive to converts.
