Halloweenn.
/ˌhaləʊˈiːn/, U.S. /ˌhæləˈwin/, /ˌhɑləˈwin/, Scottish English /ˌhaloˈin/ Scottish.attributive.1795 J. Sinclair Statist. Acct. Scotl. XV. 517 Formerly the Hallow Even Fire, a relic of Druidism, was kindled in Buchan.
The eve of All Hallows' or All Saints'; the last night of October. Also attributive.In the Old Celtic calendar the year began on 1st November, so that the last evening of October was ‘old-year's night’, the night of all the witches, which the Church transformed into the Eve of All Saints.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > liturgical year > feast, festival > specific Christian festivals > Halloween (31 October) > [noun]
All Hallow Evec1325
All Hallows' Eve1447
All Saints' Eve?c1550
Halloween1556
Nut-crack Night1731
1556 in J. G. Nichols Chron. Grey Friars 17 Thys yere the towne of Depe was tane..on Halhalon evyn.
1598 J. Stow Suruay of London 72 These Lordes [of Misrule] beginning their rule on Alhollon Eue.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) ii. i. 121 Clo... Was't not at Hallowmas Master Froth? Fro. Allhallond-Eue. View more context for this quotation
1773 R. Fergusson Poems 86 Nae langer bygane than sin Hallow-e'en.
1786 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 153 To burn their nits, an' pou their stocks, An' haud their Halloween.
1803 in W. Scott Minstrelsy Sc. Border (ed. 2) II. 252 This night is Hallowe'en, Janet, The morn is Hallowday.
1808–18 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. To haud Halloween, to observe the childish or superstitious rites appropriated to this evening.
1864 R. Chambers Bk. of Days II. 519/1 The evening of the 31st of October, known as All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween... It is the night set apart for a universal walking abroad of spirits.
1883 J. Hawthorne in Harper's Mag. Nov. 930/2 Halloween is the carnival-time of disembodied spirits.
1884 Queen Victoria More Leaves 69 We saw the commencement of the keeping of Halloween.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1556