Halloween, which is celebrated every year in a number of countries, on 31 October, on the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day, is a day of celebration and superstition. Pope Gregory III of the eighth century designated November 1 as the day to honour all saints and martyrs, and the evening before was known as All Hallows' Eve, later dubbed Halloween. With the passing of time, this day evolved into an event doted with kid-friendly activities like trick-or-treating. During this time, the nights have already begun to get colder, giving the celebration an extra needed spookiness. The word Halloween means 'hallowed evening' or 'holy evening'.
Widely celebrated in the US, Halloween was brought to the country by the immigrants in the second half of the nineteenth century. Initially in England, the poor would beg for food and would be given pastries called 'Soul Cakes', in return for a prayer for the family's dead relatives. This practice was later taken up by children who would visit houses in the neighbourhood and be given ale, food and money. Taking from the Irish and English tradition, Americans eventually began to dress up in costumes and go around blocks asking for food or money, a practice which is now called 'Trick-or-Treating'. Black and Orange are the traditional colours of Halloween and one of the symbols representing the day is a Jack-o-lantern.
