It may seem strange that Halloween, a secular celebration associated with goblins, ghosts, and witches, got its name from a holy day devoted to Christian martyrs. That came about because long before the Church consecrated November 1 as All Saints Day it was a pagan observance marking the end of summer -- a time, it was believed, when the dead wandered the earth and supernatural forces reigned. The Church evidently hoped to replace these lingering beliefs with ones more suitable to Christian teachings, but as is plain to see the effort wasn't entirely successful.
Halloween History FAQ
By David Emery, About.com
The name Halloween (sometimes spelled Hallowe'en) is a contraction of "All Hallows Even." The word hallow, which means "to make holy" or "to revere as holy," was once also used as a noun to mean "holy place" or "holy person" -- e.g., a saint. Thus, in Catholic liturgy October 31 is designated All Hallows Eve because it's the day before the Festival of All Saints, or All Saints Day.
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