Observances & special days · in 135 days
When is Halloween?
Halloween 2026 is on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
An evening of costumes, trick-or-treating and spooky fun, rooted in old harvest and All Hallows' Eve traditions.
In 2026, it falls in ISO week 44. Need the full year's calendar? See all 2026 weeks, or browse every other date.
At a glance
The history of Halloween
Halloween traces back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of harvest and the start of winter, when the boundary between living and dead was thought to thin. Christianity absorbed the festival, with November 1 becoming All Saints' Day and October 31 "All Hallows' Eve". Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the customs to North America in the 19th century, where trick-or-treating took its modern form by the 1930s. Halloween is now a massive secular holiday in the US, with $12 billion in annual spending.
How Halloween is celebrated
Costumes, jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, scary movies and candy. Adults host costume parties. Mexico's Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) overlaps with the same week but has its own distinct traditions.
Did you know?
Americans spend about $12 billion on Halloween, including $3+ billion on candy.
The jack-o'-lantern tradition came from Ireland, where turnips were carved before pumpkins.
Approximately 30% of US households participate in trick-or-treating.
Halloween in upcoming years
How the date is set
Always October 31.
Sources & further reading
For more detail on Halloween, see these references.
Related dates
Halloween: questions and answers
When is Halloween 2026?
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
What day of the week is Halloween this year?
In 2026, Halloween is a Saturday, October 31.
How is the date of Halloween determined?
Always October 31.