Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of “All Hallows’ evening”) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day.
According to one theory, many Halloween customs were influenced by Celtic harvest celebrations, especially the Gaelic holiday Samhain, which is thought to have pagan origins.
Some go even further and assert that the early Church may have converted Samhain and its eve to Christianity as All Hallow’s Day.
Halloween has been celebrated for generations in Ireland and Scotland.
In the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought many of these practices to North America.
By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, thanks to American influence, Halloween has expanded across the globe and become far more than a religious celebration.
Such is the attraction of the celebratory eve, in the US 65% of the adult population celebrates Halloween.