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Halloween is an American tradition... For many people in Europe (and probably other parts of the world) Oct. 31 is a regular day. I lived in the U.S. for some years and still never celebrated Halloween, and it's not something I think much about (now, living in the UK). Guy Fawkes Night (Nov. 5) has meaning in the UK, but not anywhere else.Each country has its own traditions... The fact that something is big in one country doesn't mean that everyone knows about it and/or cares.
need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks.
The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. Up through the early 20th century, the spelling "Hallowe'en" was frequently used, eliding the "v" and shortening the word.