When Halloween time approaches, people all over the world celebrate with costumes, pumpkins, and spooky decorations, while they keep traditions alive that have existed throughout history.  

   Now celebrated on Oct. 31, Halloween originated in Ireland and northern Scotland around 2,000 years ago. It marked the end of the harvest season and the start of the winter. The ancient Celts who lived in the area believed that the boundary between the living and dead became blurred, and wore costumes and lit bonfires to ward off the spirits of the dead. According to the article, “Halloween 2025” from history.com, they celebrated this night when those spirits returned to the world of the living and called this pagan festival, Samhain.

   As Christianity spread across Europe, it also contributed to Halloween traditions. In an effort to remove Pagan influences from Europe, Pope Gregory III declared Nov. 1 as All Saints Day in the 8th century as a way to honor martyrs and saints. The day before became known as All Hallows Eve, a day of remembrance, and it was eventually shortened to Halloween. All Hallows Eve overlapped with and eventually evolved to have some of the same traditions as the previously celebrated Celtic holiday, Samhain.

   During the late 1800’s, when Irish and Scottish immigrants migrated to the United States for jobs, they introduced Halloween to the American population. As more and more immigrants came, they adopted Halloween into their own cultures, and over time, it became a more community centered event rather than a religious event. In the 20th century, trick-or-treating became a popular tradition among children, along with haunted houses, halloween parties, and jack-o-lanterns.  

       “My favorite thing about Halloween is going out with friends to scary places,” Tanmai Sree Gummalla ‘26 said, “It’s just exciting to get a little scared once in a while and makes the night feel more thrilling and fun.”

   Today, Halloween is celebrated by people of all ages. Children dress up in costumes and go door to door for candy, while others watch scary movies to commemorate Halloween. Regardless of what one does on Halloween, it is an enjoyable tradition that brings the community together to have fun.