Astro*Dictionary by Michael Erlewine
1 article for "Halloween"
Halloween [Astro*Index]All Hallows Eve. The evening preceding All Saints Day (November 1).
Popular holiday in which children dress in costumes and masks, particularly designed to resemble witches and supernatural creatures.
From ancient Egyptian times, the festival was timed to occur when the Pleiades appeared on the upper meridian at midnight. Details of their festival were part of their mystery cult, and are lost to us. But, the Egyptian heiroglyphic for the Pleiades means the "gathering."
In the Middle Ages, this event occurred on October 31; but, due to precession of the equinoxes, it now occurs about November 13 in the Gregorian calendar.
See also:
♦ Pleiades ♦ Gregorian Calendar
Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine