Overview
- Recent coverage published Oct. 20–21 lays out Halloween’s history and the customs people practice today.
- Scholars trace the holiday to the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and a belief that the dead drew near the living.
- The name Halloween comes from the English phrase All Hallows’ Eve and reflects the Church’s later layering of saints’ and souls’ observances onto older rites.
- Popular customs such as dressing in costumes, children going door to door for treats, and carving lanterns grew in North America after Irish immigration in the 19th century and later spread worldwide.
- Contemporary coverage emphasizes Halloween’s largely secular role as a social and commercial occasion that drives parties, neighborhood activities, and seasonal decorations in countries including Argentina.