Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Archaic All Saints' Day.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The feast of All Saints; All Saints' day, namely, the 1st of November.
Wiktionary
- n. archaic All Saints Day, November 1
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The feast of All Saints, or Allhallows.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a Christian feast day honoring all the saints; first observed in 835
Etymologies
- Short for All-hallows' mass ("All-saints' mass"), ultimately continuing Old English ealra hālgena mæsse-dæġ (literally "All Saints' mass day"), equivalent to hallow (“saint”) + -mas. (Wiktionary)
- Short for Allhallowmas. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Together, the three celebrations -- All Saints 'Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls Day -- were called Hallowmas, and the night before came to be called All-hallows Evening, eventually shortened to "Halloween.”
“The practice of Trick-or-Treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling," when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas, November 1, receiving food in return for prayers for the dead.”
The Huffington Post: Barbara Barton Sloane: Fright Night In America And Across the Pond
“The act of dressing up and begging door to door actually extends as far back as the Middle Ages when the poor would go knocking on doors on Hallowmas (November 1st).”
The Huffington Post: Reyne Haines: Reyne Gauge: The History of Halloween
“If you're desperate for a post Halloween holiday, what better than Hallowmas, the day after Hallowmas?”
“It was called that because it preceded All Saints Day called “All Hallows,” or “All Hallowmas”.”
“Tonight is Hallowmas, a recently created holiday to stretch the Halloween spirit that much longer.”
“I also evangelized him in the community, relating the tale of how, every year on Hallowmas Eve, the day when the spiritual most strongly encroaches on the substantial, this mightiest of gourds would rise to revel across the world with the most sincere of his adorers.”
“Both required they be cast this night of all nights; Hallowmas, the perilous, when Light magic and Dark are in equal balance, and either result is likely from any spell made-and most particularly when, as now, Hallowmas falls under a waning moon.”
“And this night was Hallowmas night, the only night upon which either could be worked.”
“Hallowmas Night MERCEDES LACKEY The moon is on the wane tonight, and her light is fitful and hard to work by.”
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