Halloween

Overview

Halloween is a holiday observed each year on October 31, primarily in the United States and Canada. It's based on 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.

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.

Halloween generates more than $13B in annual spending, 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.

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