The word Hallowe’en stands for All Hallows’s eve (the evening before the holy ones). That is, the evening before All Saints Day. In pagan times this was also the date of the end of the old year and the begining of the new one: it was thought that the souls of the dead visited their homes and enormous bonfires were lit on hilltops to ward off witches, ghosts and evil spirits. Traces of these pagan rites still remain: bonfires are lit (bonfire night) and scary faces are made out of pumpkings with candles lit inside. People dress up as witches, vanpires or other monsters and go round from door to door sayind: Trick or treat? Which means, we’ll play a trick on you unless you give us a treat (some sweets).