Halloween

Halloween
A jack-o'-lantern, one of the symbols of Halloween
Also called	All Hallows' Eve All Saints' Eve Samhain
Observed by	Western Christians & many non-Christians around the world[1]
Date	October 31
Celebrations	Parades, festivals, costume parties, trick-or-treating/guising, carving pumpkins, ghost tours, haunted attractions, Hell houses, bonfires, divination, apple bobbing, fireworks displays
Observances	Church services,[2] prayer,[3]fasting,[1] and vigils[4]
Related to	Samhain, All Saints' Day(cf. vigils)

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of its original title "All Hallows' Evening"),^[5] also known as All Hallows' Eve,^[6] is a yearlyholiday observed around the world on October 31, the eve before the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. According to some scholars, All Hallows' Eve initially incorporated traditions from pagan harvest festivals and festivals honoring the dead, particularly theCeltic Samhain;^[6][7][8] other scholars maintain that the feast originated entirely independently of Samhain.^[9]

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins intojack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.