Halloween Countdown

Halloween lands on October 31 every year, a night of costumes, candy and jack-o'-lanterns with roots more than two thousand years old. This countdown is to Halloween 2026, ticking down to October 31, live.

How many days until Halloween?

Halloween is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, which is 100 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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Halloween's story so far

1840sWaves of Irish and Scottish immigrants, many fleeing the Great Famine, carried Halloween customs to the United States, turning a regional folk tradition into a nationally celebrated holiday by the late 19th century.

1927The phrase 'trick or treat' appeared in print for the first time, as costumed children going door-to-door for treats spread across American and Canadian towns.

1933A wave of Halloween vandalism grew so severe it was dubbed 'Black Halloween,' pushing communities to organize supervised parties, parades, and trick-or-treat rounds to redirect the mischief.

1950In Philadelphia, a Presbyterian minister's family launched the first Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF collection, turning door-to-door candy runs into a fundraiser for children overseas.

Early 1970sCharity groups such as the Jaycees began staging haunted-house fundraisers nationwide, spawning the commercial haunted-attraction industry that now spans thousands of venues each fall.

1974Puppeteer Ralph Lee led an informal procession of masks and puppets through Greenwich Village, the seed of what grew into New York's Village Halloween Parade, now billed as the world's largest Halloween parade.

2025US Halloween spending hit a record $13.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation, topping the previous high of $12.2 billion set in 2023.

Halloween world records

Heaviest pumpkin ever grown1,278.8 kg (2,819 lb 4 oz) — Ian & Stuart Paton, Wargrave, UK, 2025

Most lit jack-o'-lanterns displayed30,581 — Keene, New Hampshire, 2013

Largest gathering of people dressed as zombies15,458 participants — Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2014

Largest gathering of people dressed as witches1,607 participants — Sort, Spain, 2013

Largest Halloween gathering (general)17,777 people — Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, 2010

From Samhain to trick-or-treat

Halloween traces back to Samhain, the Celtic festival marking summer's end, when the boundary between worlds was said to thin. Christianity layered All Hallows' Eve on top of it, Irish and Scottish immigrants carried the customs to North America, and trick-or-treating took its modern form in the 1930s, 50s.

Why the jack-o'-lantern

The carved pumpkin comes from the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, doomed to wander with a burning coal in a hollow turnip. In America, the native pumpkin proved much easier to carve, and much bigger.

Quick facts

Rooted in Samhain, a Celtic harvest festival over 2,000 years old
Second-largest commercial holiday in the United States
Jack-o'-lanterns were originally carved from turnips
Trick-or-treating became widespread in the 1950s

Get Halloween-ready

Carve, decorate, dress up, and stock enough candy to survive the doorbell.

Pumpkin carving kit Adult costumes Kids costumes Bulk candy mix Spooky decorations Face paint kit

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HISTORY: Halloween Wikipedia

Halloween — frequently asked questions

When is Halloween?

Halloween is on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

How many days until Halloween?

Halloween is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, which is 100 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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