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"Halloween is a contraction of 'All Hallows Even' and is so named because it is the evening before All Saints' Day (November 1) in the Christian church. All Saints' Day is also known as All Hallows and Halloween is also All Hallows Eve. 'Hallow' is derived from an Old English word meaning 'holy person.'In pagan times Halloween was the last day of the Celtic calendar and was thought to be the night when witches and warlocks were roaming the land and when evil spirits and souls of the dead were abroad. When Christianity came to the British Isles, it became the eve of All Hallows or All Saints' Day, but the old traditions remained. That's why youngsters wear masks when they go out trick-or-treating and it is also why the hollowed-out jack-o'-lantern has a masklike face."
SOURCE: Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins p. 271
UPDATED: 04/11/2006