October 31, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA. — Each year on Oct. 31, a large majority of the country dresses up in fun and spooky costumes to watch their favorite scary movie. Billions of dollars nationally are spent on candy and decorations. But where does Halloween come from, and how did it turn into such an iconic American holiday?
Origins
Halloween as we celebrate it today is a complex blend of traditions, primarily consisting of Celtic and Christian culture. Scholars often find the earliest traces of Halloween in ancient Celtic tradition.
Celts, or Celtic people, were a group of ancient Europeans that lived approximately from 700 B.C.E. to 400 C.E., according to the World History Encyclopedia. While they were not one unified group or country, they shared a general culture. When the Roman Empire invaded a large part of Europe, most of Celtic culture was absorbed into Roman culture. However, more remote areas like Ireland were able to retain more of their Celtic identity.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts believed that on the night of Oct. 31 the worlds of the living and the dead blurred, and ghosts would return to roam the earth for one night. The next day, Nov. 1, marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the new year. They called this celebration Samhain.
On the eve of Samhain, where the dead were believed to come back to the living world as ghosts, Celtic priests would make predictions and prophecies about the future. A History article states, “In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to predict the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort during the long, dark winter.” The Celts wore costumes to celebrate the festival, built massive bonfires, and sacrificed crops and animals.
The Roman Empire also had a distinct influence on Halloween. The Roman’s celebrated Feralia, a day to honor the dead. They also celebrated the goddess of fruit, Pomona, for a day. Both festivals would later merge with Samhain, after the Roman’s conquered the Celts.
A few hundred years later, during the 9th Century, Christian tradition started to blend with the Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the Catholic church established All Souls Day on Nov. 2, to honor the dead.
An Encyclopedia Britannica article explains, “There are varied accounts for its origins. In the 7th century CE Pope Boniface IV originally established what would become All Saints’ Day on May 13. In the 8th century Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s, Rome, on November 1 in honor of all saints, and the day was kept thereafter, perhaps in an effort to supplant the pagan holiday of Samhain with a Christian observance.”
Nov. 1 began to be referred to as All-Hallows or All-Hallowmas. Eventually the night before, or the traditional night of the celebration of Samhain, began to be referred to as All-Hallows Eve, turning eventually into Halloween.
The American Tradition
Though Halloween was originally not popular in America due to religious beliefs, it eventually became one of the most popular holidays. Halloween in the colonial era was celebrated by telling ghost stories, dance, singing, fortune telling, and mischievous activities. However, Halloween was not celebrated nationally until after Irish immigrants came to the U.S. en masse after the Irish Potato famine, bringing their culture and festivities with them.
By the 1930s, Halloween had lost any religious undertones. During the 30s, Halloween celebrations started to rapidly change. The holiday had become a night largely consisting of teenage boys pulling pranks and committing vandalism. According to a History article, the chaos had gotten so bad that in 1933, the night of Halloween was named “Black Halloween” after teenage boys had spent the night flipping cars, vandalizing public property, and generally causing town-wide chaos.
After that night, towns across the country tried to redirect young people’s attention during the holiday. Instead of letting young people roam, with nothing to do but get into trouble, massive Halloween parties and parades became common. Haunted houses also originated from this era.
There’s one more famous Halloween tradition that started in this period. A Today article writes, “After Black Halloween, many cities contemplated banning the holiday altogether, but instead decided to adopt a popular Canadian tradition.” That tradition was trick-or-treating, which steadily became more popular throughout the 30s and 40s.
With the youth of America distracted by massive parades and parties, haunted houses, and buckets of candy, serious vandalism during Halloween became a thing of the past.
Today, Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in America, grossing over $10 billion annually.
A Global Celebration
While Halloween does have strong roots in American culture, many different countries celebrate the holiday or have similar celebrations.
In Mexico, on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, el Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated. Families remember their loved ones that have passed away and often leave food or other offerings at their graves. People often paint skulls on themselves or make skull shaped food and candy.
On Nov. 1, Ognissanti is celebrated in Italy as a day dedicated to the saints. Children that are well-behaved receive gifts, families eat meals near the graves of loved ones, and lanterns made from carved pumpkins are all popular ways of celebrating the holiday.
In Guatemala, people make hand-painted, colorful kites, some of which fly up to 40 feet high. They are flown over graves, representing the connection between those who are living, and those who have passed away. This festival takes place during the first few days of November and is called Barriletes Gigantes (giant kites).
To learn more about the different traditions of Halloween, visit this NPR article.
