Saturday is Oct. 31, Halloween. It is a day - or night - marked by contrasts and sometimes contentiousness. I am sure that one Halloween tradition will continue this week: the tradition of controversy whether it is a day that should be celebrated. Is a day of darkness or evil?

The roots of Halloween are found in the Gaelic festival called Samhain. That word comes from the Old Irish language meaning "summer's end." A similar festival called Calan Gaeaf was celebrated by the ancient Britons.

Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half." During this festival, people believed, the border between this world and the "otherworld" - the land of the dead and of deities, became, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. Family ancestors were honored and invited home; harmful spirits were warded off.

Wearing costumes and masks was one way to ward off harmful spirits was wearing of costumes and masks. Disguising oneself as a harmful spirit, it was believed, would help avoid harm itself.
Originally spelled Hallowe'en, the day's name is shortened All Hallows' Even - or evening. It was the day before the Christian holiday of All Saints Day. In fact, two Popes worked to move the holiday from May 13 to Nov. 1 to counter the pagan festivals.

According to one source, the Christian Church in the 800s measured the day as starting at sunset. All Saints Day, which now is assumed to be the day following, and Halloween actually were celebrated on the same day - since Halloween began at dusk.

The tradition of carving pumpkins became associated with Halloween in the mid 1800s. Previously, it was associated with harvest time in general. The tradition of jack-o'-lanterns is traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip.

Trick-or-treating resembles a medieval practice of souling, a time when poor folk would go door to door on Nov. 1 - Hallowmas - receiving food in return for prayers for the dead. The door-to-door activity received national attention in October, 1947 issues of the children's magazines Jack and Jill and Children's Activities.