Halloween is a holiday observed each year on Oct. 31, primarily in the United States and Canada. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the shift from summer to winter and the belief that the boundary between the living and the dead was thin. Christianity later incorporated Samhain into the liturgical calendar as All Hallows’ Eve, which eventually became Halloween.
> Trick-or-treating comes from a Celtic tradition intended to ward off evil spirits. (Read)
> Day of the Dead shares some similarities with Halloween, though they're distinct holidays. (Read)
Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the holiday—and its many traditions—to the US in the 19th century. By the early 20th century, Halloween became associated with vandalism and pranks, prompting communities to create parades, haunted house tours, and town-sponsored trick-or-treating as structured alternatives.
> The jack-o'-lantern comes from an Irish folktale about a man forced to roam the earth. (Read)
> Disneyland's Haunted Mansion popularized the haunted house, solidifying it as a common Halloween tradition. (Read)
> Poisoned Halloween candy is a myth that goes back to at least the 1950s. (View)
Halloween generates more than $13B in annual spending in the US, driving industries from candy to haunted attractions, while also serving as a cultural event for both children and adults, who take part in costume parties, horror movie marathons, and more.
> Read "The Book of Hallowe'en," the first book-length history of the holiday. (Read)
> John Carpenter's "Halloween" is one of the most profitable indie films of all time, thanks, in part, to its small budget. (View)
Discover more:
> Houdini died on Halloween and was buried in a coffin he once escaped from. (Read)
> The perception of black cats as evil dates back to the Greek goddess Hecate, who kept a black cat as her supernatural aide. (Read)
> Candy corn was originally called "chicken feed," in an appeal to a rural demographic. (Read)
