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Halloween (a shortening of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world
on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day.
Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"),
attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks,
telling scary stories, watching horror films, coloring pages, as well as the religious observances of praying, fasting and attending vigils or church services.
Halloween is also thought to have been heavily influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (also known as Hallowmas, All Hallows,
and Hallowtide) and All Souls' Day. Falling on November 1 and 2 respectively, collectively they were a time for honoring the saints and
praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach heaven.
In the United States, Halloween (October 31st) is a "unofficial" holiday (banks, government offices, and schools do not close), as such the holiday may occur
on any particular day of the week (not specifically a weekend of Monday).
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