Halloween 2025

what is halloween

The word Halloween or Hallowe'en ('Saints' evening'[39]) is of Christian origin;[40][41] a term equivalent to 'All Hallows Eve' as attested in Old English.[42] The word hallowe[']en comes from the Scottish form of All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day):[43] even is the Scots term for 'eve' or 'evening',[44] and is contracted to e'en or een;[45] (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en became Hallowe'en.

Background

Halloween[a] is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide,[11] the time in the Christian liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.[3][12][13][14] In popular culture, Halloween has become a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural.[15]

Activities to do

Popular activities during Halloween include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling frightening stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films.[28]
Some Christians practice the observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead,[29][30][31] although it is a secular celebration for others.[32][33][34] Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.[35][36][37][38]

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