Guide Note
Celebrated annually around the world on October 31, Halloween is a mostly secular holiday involving costumes, candy consumption and frightening stories or films.
Fast Facts
- Halloween is on October 31st
- Originates from Celtic folklore
- Also referred to as All Hallow's Eve
- Traditional holiday for dressing in costumes
- Most popular Halloween costumes:
Trick or Treat
The idea of disguising oneself for a fall holiday originated in the Middle Ages, though trick-or-treating did not become commonplace in the United States until the years after World War II.
Common practice among teenagers is to forego the traditional candy gathering and to pelt neighboring houses and cars with eggs. Homes and trees are often covered with toilet paper as a Halloween prank.
Halloween in Popular Culture
Halloween has inspired many books, television shows, and films. John Carpenter's Halloween follows the fictional killer Michael Myers as he prays on mostly young females. The Peanuts series produced the animated special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which is shown annually around the holiday.
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