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Halloween

A cultural observance on October 31 celebrated with costumes, trick-or-treating, and festive themes of the supernatural rooted in ancient harvest and folk traditions.

Saturday

October 2026

Last updated February 26, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEOctober 31

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYSeasonal

SUBCATEGORYFall

ORIGIN

Historical Origin

FOUNDING ENTITY

Not documented

FIRST OBSERVED

Ancient

HOW THE HOLIDAY CAME TO BE

The observance traces to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of harvest when the boundary between the living and dead was believed to thin. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints' Day to November 1, blending Christian and Celtic traditions and making October 31 All Hallows' Eve.

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INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

Halloween is right around the corner on October 31 and it's time to get ready for a spooktacular celebration! This holiday has been around since ancient times, when people would dress up in costumes to ward off evil spirits. Today, Halloween is celebrated all over the world with parties, trick-or-treating, costume contests and more. It's an exciting day that no one should miss out on - so grab your friends and start planning!

DEALS & OFFERS

Past offers

No active deals yet — here’s who’s celebrated before.

Nothing yet for 2026

Brands typically announce offers a week before the date. Check back closer to the day.

40 brands have run a deal

Papa Johns Pizza +32 more

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TIMELINE

Halloween Timeline

Origin of Halloween

Halloween is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain where people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts.

Christian Influence

The Catholic Church designated November 1 as All Saints Day, a time to honor saints. The day before was known as All Hallows Eve, which eventually became Halloween.

Halloween in America

The tradition of Halloween was brought to America by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland, who would hold their version of the holiday with ghost stories and mischief-making.

Trick-or-Treating Tradition

Trick-or-treating became a popular Halloween tradition in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, inspired by the Irish and British tradition of going house-to-house asking for food or money.

Commercialization of Halloween

Halloween became highly commercialized in the U.S. in the second half of the 20th century, with mass-produced costumes and candies filling store shelves by 1950.

Current Halloween Celebrations

Nowadays, Halloween is widely celebrated around the world with parties, haunted houses, costume contests, and trick-or-treating becoming a staple part of the celebration.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate Halloween

Carve pumpkins

Get your hands on some pumpkins, grab some carving tools and get to work. Get creative with your carvings, use templates, or draw freehand. When you're done, display them in your front yard for all to see.

BAKE

Bake Halloween treats

Look up some Halloween recipes online, or make up your own creations. Try out cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and more! Decorate them with spooky designs and surprise your friends with your baking skills.

THROW

Throw a Halloween party

Invite some friends over and plan out Halloween decorations, music, costumes and food. Have everyone dress up in costume and have a costume contest to see who has the best one.

VISIT

Visit a haunted house

Take a trip to the nearest haunted house and get scared silly. You can even go to an outdoor haunted trail and take a walk through the forest at night if you're feeling brave.

WATCH

Watch horror movies

Put together a marathon of classic horror films like The Shining or The Exorcist to get into the spooky spirit of the holiday. Invite some friends over for a movie night and scare yourselves silly.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love Halloween

You get free candy!

What's not to love about getting delicious treats like candy and chocolates without having to pay for them? Halloween definitely has something for everyone - so why not take advantage of it?

It's a fun holiday

Halloween is filled with lots of fun activities, from carving pumpkins to decorating your home. Plus, trick-or-treating gives you an excuse to dress up in costumes and show off your creative side!

It lets you get together with friends and family

Halloween is the perfect occasion for gathering with those you love. Whether you decide to have a costume party or go trick-or-treating together, it's always great to spend some quality time with the people close to you during this special day.

Related holidays

SAT

Oct 2026

Religion

Samhain

Get ready for a spooky and magical night as we honor the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter.