James Wesser Posted: October 31, 2023 | Last updated: October 31, 2023 (WHTM) - Halloween occurs every year on Oct. 31. But why do we celebrate it on that day? Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31? There are two answers to this question: a pagan one and a Christian one. The ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which occurred on November 1 but kicked off the evening before, is considered the earliest known root of our secular Halloween traditions. Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31? Origin and meaning. When we think of Halloween, the United States of America immediately comes to mind, where the celebration of October 31 is one of its biggest holidays and its great diffusion has caused it to expand to the rest of the world. In reality, however, the Halloween festival is of Celtic Here's why we celebrate October 31, and why some curious traditions (bobbing for apples, anyone?) have stood the test of time. What does paganism have to do with Halloween? A lot, really. Why is Halloween on Oct. 31 With the Celts celebrating a Nov. 1 new year, it made sense to celebrate Oct. 31. Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a time to honor saints, hence All Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. Why Do We Celebrate Halloween on October 31? The ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which occurred on November 1 but kicked off the evening before, is considered the earliest known root of Why October 31st? Now you might be wondering, why October 31st specifically? Well, the Celts believed that Samhain started at sunset on October 31st and ended at sunset on November 1st. So, it made perfect sense to celebrate the spooky festivities on the eve of the Celtic festival. When did Halloween come to the USA? The Celts' new year began on November 1, so the day before—October 31st—was marked by a very important celebration called Samhain. An artist's impression of Halloween (Photo Credit : Alexander Raths/Shutterstock) Samhain was in honor of summer's end, and the inevitable approach of winter, the cold, dark and dangerous season where life Atlanta, GA » 59° Halloween's roots are about 2,000 years old and go back to a Celtic festival called Samhain. SNgx5G.