Celebrated on 10/31/2026
Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints' Day, incorporating some Samhain traditions into the Christian holiday. The night before became known as All Hallows' Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.
Halloween traces its roots to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated over 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. The Celts marked November 1 as the end of summer and the harvest, a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to blur, allowing ghosts to return to earth. To honor the dead and appease spirits, they lit bonfires and wore costumes made of animal heads and skins. By the 8th century, the Christian church had established All Saints' Day on November 1, likely to supplant Samhain, and the night before became All Hallows' Eve—later Halloween.
Halloween evolved significantly as it spread to America through Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century. The tradition of "trick-or-treating" emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, combining ancient customs of leaving food for spirits with early American practices of dressing up and going door-to-door for treats. Today, Halloween is a multi-billion dollar industry, with celebrations including costume parties, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, and elaborate decorations. The holiday has become increasingly secular and commercialized, but still retains its spooky, community-oriented spirit.
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