Many who regard Halloween as an unwholesome, even evil festival cite its focus on death. We explore the origins of the relationship between Halloween and death, who has been preoccupied with death through the ages, and how. We look at the meaning of death from the perspective of the Romans, ancient Celts, early Christians, Catholics and modern-day pagans, and debunk some of the misconceptions about what has motivated people to mark the various festivals that have contributed to Halloween as we know it today.