What is Halloween and why do we celebrate it?

It’s a day when people tell tales of the supernatural, get dressed up in costumes and go trick or treating around the neighbourhood. There are numerous Halloween traditions and superstitions.

When is Halloween?

Halloween is celebrated each year on the 31 October.

What is Halloween and why do we celebrate it?

The name comes from All Hallows’ Eve, which marks the day before the Christian holiday of All Hallows’ Day, also known as All Saints’ Day. However, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to the pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), first celebrated by the Celts of ancient Europe. In this tradition, 1 November marked the start of the new year so Samhain was New Year’s Eve.

What is Samhain?

During Samhain, it was believed that the barrier between our world and the world of spirits, was at its thinnest. The spirits of those who had passed away were able to travel back and forth, wandering the Earth and interacting with the living. To scare them away, the Celts would have massive bonfires and they’d sometimes wear disguises to prevent the spirits from recognising them.

For many people who continue to practise witchcraft or hold pagan beliefs today, Halloween is a sacred time. It offers a chance to connect with spirits in the afterlife,

You might have heard of WitchTok, the name for any witchy content on TikTok. There are tutorials, tarot readings and videos of the day-to-day life of a witch. Bitesize spoke to one Witchtokker to see how she prepares for Halloween.

What Halloween costume should I wear?

A massive part of Halloween is having the chance to dress up and go to a party or trick-treating. Venture outside on Halloween and you might spot a few vampires, zombies or devils wandering around. But, what could you dress up as this Halloween?

One classic that makes an appearance year after year is the creepy clown. But why are we scared of clowns if they’re supposed to make us laugh? Having a fear of clowns is known as coulrophobia, and it could stem from a clown’s unnatural appearance. While they appear familiar and we know they’re human, we can be unsettled by their exaggerated movements and our inability to read their facial expressions below the clown makeup.

If you're looking for eco-friendly Halloween ideas, why not start with your costume? Check out charity shops for second-hand clothing that you can repurpose, or ask friends and family if they've got any bits and pieces lying around. As well as being less wasteful, it can also save you money compared to buying a whole new costume from scratch.

What’s on TV for Halloween?

If you’re not in the mood to go out, and would rather curl up in bed with a pumpkin spice drink, there’s plenty of spooky Halloween movies and TV to catch up on. Whether it’s a one-off themed episode from your favourite sitcom or a full series that focuses on the supernatural, there’s something for everyone’s fright comfort level.

To get you started, we took a look at the five times TV spooked the nation. In several of these shows, the TV audience were tricked into thinking that the show had been possessed, with actors pretending that they were experiencing paranormal activity during filming.

More recently, Bitesize spoke to Laurence Rickard from the BBC comedy Ghosts. He explained how the ghost stories that we often watch at Halloween, all seem to follow certain rules, and that the writing team had fun subverting some of those ideas. Have you ever wondered why all ghosts seem to come from the same time period? It’s rare that Halloween TV episodes feature ghost cavemen or someone from the 1990s.

Where are the haunted houses near me?

If you’re looking for Halloween activities near you, why not visit one of the UK’s many haunted houses? Lots of them are open to the public.

Over hundreds of years, so much has happened at these historical properties that it’s no surprise that countless ghost stories have emerged. Many of these ‘haunted houses’ contain similar characters and themes, such as a knight on horseback, a monk or a grey or white lady. The ghosts appear to be unable to move on to the afterlife until something is resolved in this world.

Bitesize spoke to the National Trust about some of their less well-known haunted houses. For instance, at Treasurer’s House in Yorkshire, there is supposedly an entire legion of British Roman soldiers who march through the basement, following an old Roman road.

Do your research and you’ll be sure to find a haunted house near you.

So whether you decide to make your own Halloween costume, visit a haunted house, or watch some Halloween films this October 31, we’re sure you’ll have a spooktacular time!