What is Halloween and Why Do We Celebrate it?

Ok, so everyone knows the basics of Halloween – the costumes, the sweets and of course, trick or treating. But what is Halloween really about?

While the spooky holiday is ever so popular in the United States, it has a long history in the UK dating back thousands of years. No need to dust of your History books, we’ve done the research for you! So grab a cuppa and a blanket and get the autumnal vibes going as we tell you about the history of Halloween and why we celebrate it.

What do you know about Halloween?

Absolutely everything! We’re all about the spooks and have been in this game for quite a long time. Fright Nights at Thorpe Park first opened in 2002 with a three-day event over the Halloween weekend. Now in it’s 23rd year, this multiple award-winning Halloween event is open for most of October. Check out THORPE PARK to take on spine tingling scare mazes, explore blood-chilling scare zones and immersive shows. You can also experience the UK’s most thrilling rides in the dark, including Hyperia, the UK’s tallest, fastest and most weightless coaster.

When is Halloween 2024?

Let’s start with the basics – when is Halloween 2024 and what day is Halloween this year? The date of Halloween is October 31st, which should be pretty easy to remember, it’s the same every year all across the world! This year, Halloween falls on a Thursday.

What year will Halloween be on a Saturday?

For all you hardcore Halloween celebrators, the good news is that we only have to wait until 2026 until Halloween falls on a Saturday, so you can make the most of the wicked weekend! 

What day does Halloween fall on for the next 5 years?

Ok, we get it! You’re a Halloween Superfan. (Us too!) We know you need to sort your petrifying plans and creepy costumes well ahead of time, so what day is Halloween for the next five years?
Let’s take a look:

• Halloween 2025: Friday
• Halloween 2026: Saturday
• Halloween 2027: Sunday
• Halloween 2028: Tuesday
• Halloween 2029: Wednesday 

The History of Halloween

To really answer the questions, “What is Halloween” we must understand the holiday’s history.

The origin of Halloween actually goes back over 2,000 years. It’s derived from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which took place on the night of October 31st, explaining why Halloween falls on this date every year. This festival was meant to mark the end of the summer and the beginning of the new year, which the Celts celebrated on November 1st.

Back then, Winter was (rather bleakly) a time associated with human death, as many did not survive the colder months. On October 31st, before the Winter began, the Celts believed that the lines between living and dead would blur, meaning ghosts could walk among humans. This petrified the Celts, they would even go as far as to wear costumes to scare off the ancient spirits, which is why we dress up still to this day.

How did Halloween start in the UK?

While Halloween has ancient origins in the UK from the Samhain festival, it was a largely overlooked holiday in this region up until the 20th century. Halloween UK celebrations were typically overshadowed by Guy Fawkes night on November 5th, but it’s now widely celebrated across the UK.

The Halloween UK activities we now know and love have largely been adapted from American Halloween culture. The popular parts of Halloween – like pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating - were derived from American Halloween traditions. Over the last few decades, the Americanised version of Halloween we know today has made it’s way across the pond and has become more widely celebrated in the UK, popularised by American television, films and consumer marketing. I mean who didn’t want to go trick-or-treating after Hocus Pocus?!

Other popular activities like scare mazes and haunted houses started becoming Halloween staples in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and are now unmissable parts of the holiday. In fact, we would argue they’re the best parts!

Now we’ve got you in the spirit, click here for spine-chilling Halloween activities, – from scare zones, spooktacular shows, to rides in the dark. Don’t miss Fright Nights at Thorpe Park – the Home of Fear.