Countdown to Halloween
When is Halloween? Date, facts & history →Countdown Location
By default, holidays are counted down to midnight in your local time. You can change this below.
Halloween is the night of costumes, carved pumpkins, and trick-or-treating that lights up the end of October every year. Falling on the eve of All Saints' Day, Halloween blends ancient Celtic harvest customs with modern spooky fun, and the countdown above shows exactly how long you have to plan your costume.
From haunted houses to candy hauls, Halloween has grown into one of the most playful holidays on the calendar. Whether you love the scares or simply the seasonal decorations, watch the timer above tick down to the spookiest night of the year.
When is Halloween?
Halloween falls every year on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day on November 1. The date never changes, so the countdown above always points to the next October 31 in your time zone. Curious how many days remain until the candy arrives? Try the time until calculator, or compare the hour across regions with the world clock.
Origins and history of Halloween
Halloween traces its roots to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter. People believed the boundary between the living and the dead thinned on this night. As Christianity spread, the church established All Saints' Day on November 1, and the evening before became All Hallows' Eve, later shortened to Halloween. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried the customs to North America, where carved pumpkins replaced turnips and trick-or-treating flourished.
How Halloween is celebrated
- Carving pumpkins into glowing jack-o'-lanterns.
- Dressing in costumes, from spooky to silly.
- Going trick-or-treating door to door for candy.
- Decorating homes with cobwebs, skeletons, and lights.
- Visiting haunted attractions and telling ghost stories.
Planning a party countdown of several events? The holiday timer tracks them all.
Halloween FAQ
Why is Halloween on October 31?
October 31 is the eve of All Saints' Day on November 1. The date aligns with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the turn from harvest to winter.
What does Halloween mean?
The name comes from All Hallows' Eve, meaning the evening before All Hallows' or All Saints' Day. Over time the phrase was shortened to Halloween.
Why do we carve pumpkins?
The custom comes from Irish folklore about a figure named Stingy Jack. Immigrants found pumpkins easier to carve than the turnips used in Ireland, and the jack-o'-lantern was born.
Where did trick-or-treating come from?
It evolved from older customs of souling and guising, in which people went door to door offering songs or prayers in exchange for food, later becoming candy collection.
Is Halloween a public holiday?
In most countries Halloween is not an official public holiday, so workplaces and schools stay open, but it is widely celebrated in the evening.