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Really!?

Why would the devil be scared away by a devil costume?

Why would evil spirits be driven away by costumes that look like evil spirits?

What kind of "Christians" were these? Arians? Pelagians? Huguenots?

Who knows?  Lots of people had strange superstitious beliefs about the Plague.  Gargoyles seem to be rooted in superstition.  Today the Mexicans have a devotion to St. Death.  Lots of syncretism.

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I agree with all you say. Why did you post this wretched article only to respond to it yourself? This is a perfect example of a "straw man argument," implying that you are reacting to something posted by another when you are actually reacting to something you posted yourself.

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It's nice to see you agree with me, Cera, but you're confused as to the meaning of "straw man argument," of which this is not an example, let alone "perfect" example. 
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A straw man argument is posing a fictitious or made-up situation just for the purpose of attacking it, since it resembles that which you pretend to attack. 
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What I posted was not fictitious or made up. It is an actual poster that was used at a Novus Ordo parish to answer the question of what to do about Halloween. They're actually trying to do a poche - thing --- to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, by turning Halloween into a Catholic event. 
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They even say Halloween is Catholic, if you look hard enough, that is.  Well, that's false. Halloween is not Catholic.
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Children who go trick-or-treating fully expect to eat at least SOME of the candy that same day, which is the Vigil of All Saints. 
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The Vigil of All Saints is a day of partial abstinence, when flesh meat should be taken only at the main meal, that is, once in the day.
So then having a bunch of candy --- does that exactly fit in with the principle of partial abstinence?
How does a Catholic mother (or father for that matter) keep consistent with the Catholic rule of fast and abstinence when confronted with a pile of sweets?
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If Halloween were Catholic, the consumption of the sweets would be the following day, the Feast of All Saints, not the day before.
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How do you get your children to go out collecting trick-or-treat candy only not to consume any of it until the next day?
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Sounds like a great way to teach your children that being Catholic means setting yourself up for contradiction. 
Hypocrisy like, avoid the near occasion of sin, except when you deliberately engage in the near occasion of sin, then it's okay. 
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It's not unique about Halloween in this regard. 
The same thing happens on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, on Christmas Eve and the eve of Easter (Holy Saturday for Catholics). 
As of 1941, the eve of the Immaculate Conception in America takes on a new hue. Not really a day to celebrate, Pearl Harbor.
But watch out for Christmas parties all during Advent (a mildly penitential season), held by non-Catholics who just can't wait for Christmas.
Protestants love to have their Christmas parties on the day before Christmas, a day of complete abstinence for Catholics.
It's like they take great pleasure indulging themselves in pleasures that they know are off limits to Catholics because of their faith.
I've known Catholics who fell right into the trap, joining up with their Protestant friends to party down the evening before Midnight Mass.
But then they wouldn't go to Mass, or, if they did, they had no idea why everyone was hungry (clue: Catholics had abstained all day, that's why).

Honestly, Halloween, like every secular holiday, will never even be remembered in the near future.  The current state of the holiday, regardless of its origins, is a bunch of bullcrap meant to sell costumes and candy, as well as host parties where high school/college students can get drunk at.  If no one cares about Christmas right now, you can be damn well sure that no one will care about Halloween.  Just let it die out, and all your problems will solve themselves.