Halloween 2026 — How Many Days Until Halloween?
About Halloween
Halloween on 31 October is one of the world's most recognisable celebrations — a night of costumes, carved pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and spooky fun. Its origins lie in Samhain, an ancient Celtic harvest festival marking the end of summer and the beginning of the dark half of the year. The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead was thinnest on this night.
When the Romans conquered Celtic lands and when Christianity later spread through Europe, Samhain blended with Roman harvest festivals and the Christian observance of All Hallows' Eve (the night before All Saints' Day on 1 November). Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the traditions to North America in the 19th century, where they combined with local customs and commercialised rapidly.
Today, Halloween is most enthusiastically celebrated in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Americans alone spend over $10 billion on Halloween each year — making it the second-largest commercial holiday after Christmas. The holiday has spread globally, with celebrations now common across Australia, continental Europe, and Latin America.
- Halloween originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, over 2,000 years old
- Americans spend more than $10 billion on Halloween annually — second only to Christmas
- Jack-o'-lanterns were originally carved from turnips, not pumpkins, in Ireland and Scotland
- The most popular Halloween costumes for adults in the US are witches, vampires, and zombies
- 31 October is also Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) eve in Mexico