What Is Halloween and Why Is It Celebrated?

Halloween takes place on October 31 annually. It is celebrated for different reasons around the world. Primarily, it is a day that people dress up and eat candy with friends and family.

In the US, Halloween originates from "All Hallows Eve", which is the day before All Saints Day (on November 1). This is a traditional holy day in Christianity as it celebrates all the saints in Heaven.

In the UK, Halloween was celebrated as a pagan festival. It was believed that the spirits would come alive on October 31 and walk among the living.

In Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, Halloween is known as the "Day of the Dead" (or el Dia de los Muertos). This event has been taking place for more than 3,000 years.

It is believed to be the day that the spirits of deceased loved ones cross over from heaven to be with their living family again. Many people have a feast and leave gifts on the graves of loved ones. The Disney Pixar film "Coco" 2017 is based on the celebration of Halloween in Mexico.

In Northern parts of Europe, Halloween was also known as Samhain, which celebrates the end of the harvest season and the start of fall/Autumn.

What Countries Celebrate Halloween?

Halloween is celebrated in more than 20 countries around the world. This includes the US, UK, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Guatemala, Japan, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, and China. The day is believed to have originated in Europe before the celebrations spread around the world.

The American version of Halloween is said to be one of the "biggest" compared with the UK and some other countries in Europe. Many people decorate houses, schools, streets, and commercial buildings on Halloween.

Russia does not celebrate Halloween. Many Asian countries also do not celebrate Halloween, unless it is celebrated as part of a cosplay party. This includes Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.

How Is Halloween Celebrated Around the World?

Most Americans celebrate Halloween by dressing up in scary costumes, like witches, ghosts, ghouls, and scary characters from TV shows or movies.

People also decorate the inside and outside of their homes with scary items, like cobwebs, "dead" beings, mummies, vampires, or faux gravestones.

Most people will put a carved pumpkin in their windows and outside their homes to show they are celebrating the event. The carvings are usually a scary face.

It's common in the US and other countries, like the UK and areas of Europe, to go "trick or treating" on Halloween. This is when people knock on houses with pumpkins and are given candy or chocolate.

How Many Days Until Halloween?

There are days until Halloween.