Halloween is annually celebrated on October 31 and is a time of eerie delight. Also known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints' Eve, it is as one of the most amazing and spooky festivals of the year. The day coincides with the All Saints' Day – a Christian holiday that honours saints. Halloween is believed to be the end of Summer and the beginning of winter. Generally celebrated in Europe and the USA, the festival has also gained immense popularity in other countries, including India. Celebrations remain at their peak with indulging in pumpkin spiced drinks to costume parties. Halloween offers a blend of fun and fright that captivates the imagination. Halloween 2024 falls on Thursday, October 31. In this article, we’ll learn about the Halloween 2024 date, history, significance, celebrations and traditions.

Halloween 2024 Date

Halloween is observed on October 31 each year, and this year, it falls on Thursday. The date aligns with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The festival marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time believed to be when the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred. The Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming spirits.

Halloween History

The history of Halloween dates back to the ancient Celts of Europe. The Celts celebrated Samhain over 2,000 years ago, a festival that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the cold, dark winter. It was believed that on the night of October 31, the spirits of the dead would return to earth. To ward off the spirits, the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes.

As Christianity spread, the festival of Samhain gradually merged with All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, which was celebrated on November 1. The evening before was known as All Hallows' Eve, which eventually became Halloween. With time, Halloween evolved into a more secular celebration accompanied by traditions.

Halloween Significance and Celebrations

Halloween is a time of great significance as people embrace the supernatural, explore their fears, and indulge in the thrill of the unknown. People follow several traditions associated with Halloween, such as dressing up in costumes and indulging in pumpkin-spiced drinks. Halloween also serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of life and death.

Halloween celebrations include dressing up in costumes ranging from spooky to whimsical. People also carve jack-o'-lantern stems while children go door-to-door collecting candy. Others might attend haunted houses, watch horror movies, or participate in themed parties.

Halloween Traditions

There are several traditions of Halloween people follow. Some of them are:

Trick-or-Treating: This is the most iconic Halloween tradition where children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door in their neighbourhood and ask for treats with the phrase, "Trick or treat!"

Costume Parties: People dress up like pooky ghosts, witches, or pop culture icons, enjoying their fun transformation into different characters.

Carving Jack-O'-Lanterns: The tradition of carving pumpkins into Jack-O'-Lanterns originated from an Irish myth about "Stingy Jack," a man who tricked the devil and was doomed to roam the earth with only a carved-out turnip to light his way.

Halloween has transcended its ancient origins to become a global festival that brings people together in a spirit of fun and fear. Whether you enjoy the thrill of a haunted house or the creativity of a costume party, Halloween offers something for everyone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2024 11:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).