It's the time of year β tradition says β when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is lifted.
That traditional belief has morphed over the centuries into the spooky and secular celebration of Halloween.
But one day later, Christians in many countries around the world are celebrating All Saints' Day on Friday, a somber and spiritual day in the church's liturgical calendar that shares pagan roots with Halloween.
The word βHalloweenβ derives from βAll Hallows Eve,β which means the eve of All Saintsβ Day, a holiday that has also been known as All Hallows. It honors martyrs and saints β those who were hallowed, or deemed holy β a tradition begun by the Roman Catholic church in the early medieval period.
Scholars believe that the spectral aspects of Halloween emerged primarily from Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival that occurred during the harvest season, said Morgan Shipley, a professor of religious studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
It was a time when people were βtransitioning from harvest and bounty and the fullness of summer to the desolation of winter,β he said. βAnd it was said that in this time the veil between the physical, material human world and the spiritual world essentially dissipates away.β
Some of the spirits or spectral beings were viewed as demonic in nature, and bonfires became a way to ward them away, or were used in divination by druid priests and priestesses when the veil between the material and spiritual world broke down, he said.
As Christianity spread, many pagan rituals were adapted to the new faith to be more attractive to converts. The period of reflecting on the dead continues though Nov. 2, which is All Soulsβ Day.
In Central Europe, the Slavic and Baltic populations had their own rituals in which the living communed with the dead between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Believers and non-believers alike in many traditionally Roman Catholic societies observe the day.
Finka Heynemann, 34, visited Warsaw's Brodno cemetery on Friday morning with her mother. They two had plans to visit six cemeteries in Warsaw over three days β even though they are not religious.
βIt's just important to keep the tradition and visit the graves and to respect and honor ancestors,β Heynemann said.
βThis day is more important than Christmas or Easter," added her mother, Maja GΔ ssowska, who paused to drop money in a collection box for a Polish cemetery in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, which was once part of Poland.
In Poland, many travel back to their family homes to gather with those still living and reflect on those who have left them.
So many people observe the holiday that cemeteries are transformed into flickering carpets of light so impressive that even the most secular cannot help but feel moved. Cities, including Warsaw and Krakow, run many additional tram and bus lines to ferry the huge numbers to β and between β cemeteries.
While the reflections are mostly personal, people also leave candles at the graves of national heroes. So many people visit cemeteries at the same time that the celebration takes on a communal quality.
It has become so much part of the wider culture in Poland that people place candles in the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries as well.
In the Philippines, millions trooped to cemeteries across the country Friday to observe the annual tradition, visiting tombs of their loved ones.
βEven if Iβm old, I still visit the tombs of my relatives, especially my husbandβs, during All Saintsβ Day," said Manila resident Dory Oliquino, who was among thousands offering flowers and candles at the Manila North Cemetery in the country's capital. βAs long as I can walk, I will visit him.β
All Saintsβ Day has been a family reunion for many Filipinos, where they keep vigil at the tombs.
βAll Saintsβ Day is the day we celebrate and remember our departed loved ones, so that even if they are gone our memories with them would still be fresh on our minds,β said Luis Montibon.
Italians traditionally visit cemeteries to pay tribute to deceased family members on All Souls' Day, lighting candles or laying flowers. Pope Francis will visit Romeβs third-largest cemetery, the Laurentino Cemetery, to celebrate Mass and lead prayers for the dead. The pope visited the same cemetery in 2018, stopping to pray in an area dedicated to fetuses.
In recent years as the holiday approaches, there are discussions about Halloween and its compatibility with Christian beliefs in the afterlife.
Poles began to celebrate Halloween after the fall of communism in 1989, but some worry that the foreign cultural import could eventual dilute the tradition of All Saints' Day. Some Catholics worry that it also might be sinful due to allusions to devils and ghosts. Pushing back, some church groups have begun holding alternative events for All Saintsβ Day.
This week, a church group organized the 3rd All Saintsβ Ball in the Polish town of Plock, according to a Catholic news site, Niedziela β meaning Sunday β which reported that βthe children came dressed as saints and blessed of the Catholic Church and as angels.β
___
Associated Press writers Colleen Barry in Milan and Basilio Sepe in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
Collins Dictionary has declared 'brat' -- the album title that became a summer-living ideal -- its 2024 word of the year.
Spend just a few minutes at the border between Canada and the U.S. β the world's longest β and you'll see why trade is a vital lifeline.
A landlord from B.C.βs Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
A convict who became Canada 's youngest designated dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby is seeking escorted leave from prison to attend Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Vancouver.
With a divided electorate about to head to the polls after a dramatic presidential campaign, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken a more neutral approach in the 2024 U.S. general election compared to 2020, writes royal commentator Afua Hagan in her column for CTVNews.ca.
Heidi Klum and Janelle Monae opted for out-of-this-world Halloween costumes this year β both choosing to dress as the stubby alien E.T. for their parties on opposite coasts.
Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.
Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
A landlord from B.C.βs Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
For people living on the fringe of society, the line between the safety and security of a home and homelessness, is very thin.
A Montreal-area woman accused of throwing boiling water on a 10-year-old boy and causing serious injuries has been granted bail.
The investigation into allegations a B.C. woman drugged and stole from men who hired her as an escort β leaving one victim dead β was marked by "professional negligence, recklessness, and operational failures," according to a judge.
Russia's top diplomat on Friday hosted his North Korean counterpart for talks amid reports that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its military in the war in Ukraine.
The death toll from Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip rose to 25, including five children, as more bodies have been recovered, while three people were killed in an early morning airstrike near the Lebanese capital, officials said Friday.
A New Zealand judge is to decide whether the owners of an island volcano suffered a miscarriage of justice when their company was convicted of failing to keep visitors safe following an eruption that killed 22 tourists and local guides in 2019.
North Korea boasted Friday that the new intercontinental ballistic missile it just test-launched is 'the world's strongest,' a claim seen as pure propaganda after experts assessed it as being too big to be useful in a war situation.
More than 400 alleged victims have so far contacted the legal team working on a case against the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape, lawyer Dean Armstrong said on Thursday.
Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone.
Canada will need a profound shift in political priorities if the country is to ramp up spending to meet its international security obligations.
Residential school survivors are calling on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism, echoing one of the findings in a report about unmarked graves and burial sites associated with the institutions.
Jagmeet Singh says the NDP will not support the Bloc QuΓ©bΓ©cois and Conservative leaders to help them bring down the Liberal government.
B.C.βs Interior Health Authority was fined nearly $250,000 after 10 workers were exposed to illicit substances at a hospital in Penticton.
A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday.
The Alzheimer Society says people with dementia should have the right to request medical assistance in dying in advance β but it must not be a replacement for high-quality palliative care.
As Phobos, one of Marsβ two moons, passed in front of the sun, it cast a lumpy, potato-shaped shadow on the sunβs face as well as on the Martian surface.
The oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States is an elaborate display of wealth β an intricately carved slab of black limestone initially laid in the floor of the second church of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British settlement in North America.
Over four days on the water in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Heather Bowlby and her team from Fisheries and Oceans Canada tagged 15 great white sharks.
Heidi Klum and Janelle Monae opted for out-of-this-world Halloween costumes this year β both choosing to dress as the stubby alien E.T. for their parties on opposite coasts.
A grand jury in Nevada has again indicted Nathan Chasing Horse on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls, reviving a sweeping criminal case against the former βDances with Wolvesβ actor.
Rapper Young Thug pleaded guilty Thursday in Atlanta to gang, drug and gun charges and will be released from jail, though he could be put back behind bars if he violates the terms of his sentence.
New changes are coming into effect that aim to protect bank customers in the event of a scam or address other bank-related issues.
Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal started a new strike Thursday morning, forcing the indefinite shutdown of two container terminals at the country's second biggest port.
The Canada Revenue Agency extended a reporting exemption it introduced years ago. Bare trusts will not require the submission of a T3 Return or Schedule 15 for the 2024 tax year.
It's the time of year β tradition says β when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is lifted.
A New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid that also yielded a raccoon named Fred.
Starting next week, Starbucks customers will no longer pay more for this add-on for their orders.
MLB star Freddie Freeman, a dual Canada-U.S. citizen, has made history as a member of the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
Australian golfer Jeffrey Guanβs dreams came true in September, as he made his PGA Tour debut. A week later, the 20-year-old was left blinded in one eye after being struck in the face by a golf ball.
Scotiabank Arena is pulling back the curtain and offering Toronto sports fans a behind-the-scenes look inside the storied building.
Several Ford vehicles have been recalled in Canada due to issues with braking systems, steering and child car seat tethers.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his companyβs strangest discoveries.
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. womanβs efforts have ended β for now, at least.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godinβs elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
The investigation into allegations a B.C. woman drugged and stole from men who hired her as an escort β leaving one victim dead β was marked by "professional negligence, recklessness, and operational failures," according to a judge.
Ports in British Columbia are waking up to the possibility of another provincewide labour disruption as employers say they will lock out members of the union representing more than 700 foremen after it served a strike notice.
A convict who became Canada 's youngest designated dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a three-month-old baby is seeking escorted leave from prison to attend Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Vancouver.
More than 45 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
New changes are coming into effect that aim to protect bank customers in the event of a scam or address other bank-related issues.
A man in his 20s is in hospital with critical injuries after the car he was driving plowed into a home in Scarborough early Friday in a dramatic collision that was caught on video.
Firefighters needed to rescue the occupants of a burning home in Penbrooke Meadows after one of the evacuees climbed out of an upstairs window and was stranded on the roof.
A Danielle Smith leadership vote and policy surrounding gender and net-zero emissions targets will take centre stage when the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting (AGM) gets underway Friday.
Ride-share giant Uber has banned a customer from its app after one of its drivers posted a social media video showing him enduring a racist tirade.
An Ottawa resident is facing charges in connection to a fatal crash on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end last May. Emergency crews responded to the head-on collision on Highway 417 by Kinburn Side Road just before 9:30 a.m. on May 14.
Drivers will be paying more to park at several municipal parking lots in Ottawa, including the two lots in the ByWard Market. The short-term parking rate at the parking garage at 70 Clarence Street increases to $2 for 30 minutes.
The switch to standard time occurs at 2 a.m. on Sunday, with clocks moving back one hour. The end of daylight saving time means it will get darker earlier in the evening, with sunset before 5 p.m. starting on Sunday.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante spoke to ΒιΆΉΣ°ΚΣ anchor Caroline Van Vlaardingen about her shocking decision, what's next for her and about a recent controversial decision to remove a poster at City Hall because it depicted a woman in a hijab.
Service has resumed on the Montreal Metro's Green line, which was down early Friday morning due to 'water infiltration.'
The Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 to continue their strong start.
The Alberta government has tabled three bills that will change, among other things, how transgender youth and athletes are treated in the province.
A Danielle Smith leadership vote and policy surrounding gender and net-zero emissions targets will take centre stage when the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting (AGM) gets underway Friday.
A surprising number of Albertans are living with persistent pain and oral health problems, according to data from Statistics Canada.
Gas prices dropped slightly in all three Maritime provinces overnight.
The daughter of a Nova Scotia woman who was killed by her husband of 33 years earlier this month in Enfield says she wants police to release more details about domestic violence cases.
A 24-year-old woman has died after she was hit by a Halifax Transit bus Thursday morning.
Winnipeg restaurant owners are calling for help amid rising crime in their dining rooms, saying the provinceβs retail crime initiative doesnβt go far enough.
Newly elected trustees at the Mountain View School Division, hope they can help end months of turmoil surrounding the school board.
A Winnipeg high school football record that has stood since 2009 has been broken by two different players.
A large percentage of newly elected MLAs in Saskatchewan are women, according to a Canadian organization called Equal Voice.
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Conservation officers are asking for tips from the public after about 100 snow geese were shot and left to waste near Moose Jaw.
An 80-year-old Cambridge woman is dead following a crash in Cambridge Thursday morning.
People living in an encampment in Guelph have been told they have two weeks to pack up and get out.
Thursday marks one of the biggest days on the Hindu calendar, with Diwali bringing in millions of people together in worship and celebration.
A large percentage of newly elected MLAs in Saskatchewan are women, according to a Canadian organization called Equal Voice.
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Saskatchewan RCMP are looking for a man wanted in connection with a dangerous person alert sent out across the province last week.
Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Juanita Migwans β or 'Winnie,' as her family calls her β of M'Chigeeng First Nation has been missing for almost a month.
The St. Thomas Fire Department says it was an extreme case of renoviction that led to the closure of an apartment building in the south end of the city, following numerous safety violations.
As reported on Tuesday, police said a man was with his family in a park near King Street and Thames Street, when an unknown man approached.
On Thursday, Maya Pluchowski resumed with her testimony telling the jury about the moments after an 18-year-old Western University student was shot and killed.
Ontario Provincial Police have charged a resident of the apartment building on King Street with arson.
York Regional Police (YRP) are on the hunt for a man allegedly involved in the shooting of a 65-year-old man in Schomberg as he walked his dog in February 2023.
Motorist calls police after seeing a truck being driven erratically.
While patrolling for stolen vehicles in the Bothwell area around 12:15 a.m. on Oct. 29, police saw a pickup truck approaching. After getting the license plate, an office tried to make a U-turn, but the truck sped away.
A Windsor teenβs social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
A man accused of attempted murder has been arrested for failing to comply with his bail conditions.
Ports in British Columbia are waking up to the possibility of another provincewide labour disruption as employers say they will lock out members of the union representing more than 700 foremen after it served a strike notice.
Mounties in British Columbia have discovered the 'largest and most sophisticated' drug-production laboratory in Canadian history, federal investigators announced Thursday, describing the facility as a 'super lab' operated by international organized criminals.
Police on Vancouver Island say one suspect has been arrested and another is believed to have fled Canada after shots were fired at a Punjabi musician's Victoria-area home last month.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
The University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics Annual Safe Ride Home campaign is making a return this year, but with a new name.
A three goal outburst in the first period of Wednesday nightβs game against the Swift Current Broncos was all the Hurricanes need on their way to 3-1 win at home against the Swift Current Broncos.
A 27-year-old security guard has been charged after an incident where a bar patron sustained life-threatening injuries.
A 40-year-old suspect has been charged with sexual assault following an incident Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie.
Juanita Migwans β or 'Winnie,' as her family calls her β of M'Chigeeng First Nation has been missing for almost a month.
The City of Greater Sudbury has been chosen to host the Ontario 55+ Summer Games next year.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general has issued a warning about the province's financial position as the government announced it would finish the 2024-25 fiscal year with a higher-than-expected deficit.
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have charged an off-duty RCMP officer for allegedly driving while impaired, following a crash on Sunday.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at ΒιΆΉΣ°ΚΣ. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.Β Read about us.
