The Celts called it Samhain , which means Summer's End , according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from Beltane to Samhain and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane. Also known as Halloween, Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Eve, Festival of the Dead, and the Third Festival of Harvest. In Ireland, a Samhain festival is celebrated annually for the ancient Pagan Goddess Tara. Every year on this day, the most important of the eight Major Witches' Sabbats is celebrated world wide by Witches and Wiccans with traditional Pagan feasts, bonfires, and rituals honoring the spirits of deceased loved ones. Divinitory arts such as scrying, rune casting, and Tarot are practiced on this magickal night, as is standing before a mirror making a secret wish.
Various authorities attribute it to either Scottish or Irish origin.
However, it seems clear that it was used as a lantern by people who traveled the road this night, the scary face to frighten away spirits or faeries who might otherwise lead one astray. Set on porches and in windows, they cast the same spell of protection over the household. Bobbing for apples may well represent the remnants of a Pagan baptism rite called a seining, according to some writers. The fact that the participant in this folk game was usually blindfolded with hands tied behind the back also puts one in mind of a traditional Craft initiation ceremony.