Halloween 2025 in the United States

Many Americans celebrate Halloween on October 31, often with costume parties, trick-or-treating, and festive decorations. It is one of the most commercially significant events in the US.

Is Halloween a Public Holiday?

Although Halloween is not a public holiday, businesses and schools may be closed because it falls on the same date as Nevada Day in 2025, which is a public holiday in Nevada.

When Is Halloween in the United States?

Halloween takes place every year on October 31 in the United States.

Although it’s not a public holiday, it is one of the country’s most visible cultural observances, with communities across the US marking the night with costumes, candy, and celebrations.

How Do People Celebrate American Halloween?

Halloween celebrations vary widely but often include:

• Trick-or-treating: Children dress up and go door-to-door collecting Halloween candy. In some regions, like Des Moines, Iowa, October 30 is celebrated as Beggars’ Night, when children tell a joke or riddle before receiving treats.
• Trunk-or-treating: Since the 1990s, many communities and churches have hosted events where families give out candy from decorated car trunks, creating an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.
• Pumpkin carving: Families and friends enjoy carving pumpkins, creating glowing jack-o’-lanterns to display on porches or windowsills. Some communities even hold contests to showcase the most creative designs.
• Halloween parties: Both children and adults attend themed gatherings with costumes, spooky decorations, and Halloween-themed food.
• Parades and festivals: Events like New York City’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, founded in 1974, attract thousands of participants and spectators. Smaller parades, such as Vermont’s Rutland Halloween Parade (established in 1960), add to the community spirit.
• Halloween activities: Watching horror movies and telling ghost stories are also popular traditions on Halloween night.
• Fundraising traditions: Programs like Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, started in 1950, encourage children to collect donations to support humanitarian causes.

Origins of Halloween in the US

Halloween’s roots in the United States date back to 19th-century Irish and Scottish immigrants, who brought over medieval traditions such as souling—going door-to-door for soul cakes in exchange for prayers—and guising, where participants performed in disguise for treats.

These practices evolved into trick-or-treating, which grew especially popular after the 1930s. By the 1950s, Halloween had become a firmly established part of American culture.

Immigrants from Ireland also popularized pumpkin carving, adapting older traditions of turnip lanterns into the now-iconic American jack-o’-lanterns. The holiday’s commercialization began in the early 1900s, with postcards and paper decorations, while store-bought Halloween costumes became common by the 1930s.

Halloween Traditions and Symbols

Halloween in the US shares many of the classic symbols recognized worldwide:

• Jack-o’-lanterns carved from pumpkins
• Costumes ranging from ghosts and witches to superheroes and pop culture icons
• Black cats, bats, vampires, and skeletons
• Haunted houses, tombstones, cobwebs, and spooky Halloween decorations

Foods such as candy apples, popcorn balls, pumpkin-flavored treats, and bags of candy are central to celebrations.

In the past, homemade treats like popcorn balls or candied apples were common giveaways, though individually wrapped chocolate bars and packs of candy purchased from a store became the norm by the late 20th century.

Cultural and Economic Impact

Though not a public holiday, Halloween is one of the most commercially significant events in the US, generating billions of dollars annually in spending on costumes, decorations, candy, and entertainment. According to retail trade publications, it ranks among the top consumer holidays after Christmas.

Safety is also an important focus of modern Halloween: parents are encouraged to accompany young trick-or-treaters and check candy, while drivers are urged to watch for children in dark costumes who may be harder to see.

About Halloween in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.