HALLOWE'EN or ALL HALLOWS EVE, the name given to Oct. 31, as the vigil of Hallowmas or All Saints' Day, now chiefly known as the eve of the Christian festival. It long antedates Christianity. The two chief characteristics of ancient Hallowe'en were the lighting of bonfires and the belief that this is the one night in the year during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander abroad. History shows that the main brations of Hallowe'en were purely Druidical, and this is further proved by the fact that in parts of Ireland Oct. 31 is still known as Oidhche Shatnhna, "Vigil of Saman." This is directly con nected with the Druidic belief in the calling together of certain wicked souls on Hallowe'en by Saman, lord of death. On the Druidic ceremonies were grafted some of the characteristics of the Roman festival in honour of Pomona held about Nov. I, in which nuts and apples, representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part. The custom of lighting Hallowe'en fires survived until recently in the highlands of Scotland and Wales.