People all over the world celebrate Halloween, it’s a holiday not limited by a certain religion as it varies across different people and cultures. It originated in Ireland thousands of years ago by the Celtic people, and was known as Samhain.  Its name was later changed to All Hallows’ Eve, and eventually evolved into Halloween as we know it today. The colors of the holiday are a reference to the autumn harvest festival, with orange representing the harvest of crops and black representing the end of summer. The tradition eventually spread to the rest of the world, but as with all traditions, people have varied interpretations of it.  

The harvest festival, Samhain, was celebrated to mark the end of the autumn season, and was set halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.  The festival began spreading to the rest of the world when the Irish people fled Ireland to escape the potato famine in the 1840s.  

Many countries celebrate Halloween differently.  China celebrates Halloween as Teng Chieh in their local dialect.  People offer food and water to others, and light lanterns to guide the spirits of deceased and loved ones.  The purpose in this custom is to remember the spirits of the dead so that the restless spirits may peacefully go to Heaven.  The holiday is used as a good luck to the living, as well, because the spirits of the dead are said to cause trouble in the lives of those still living.

South Africa, Canada, and the United States celebrate Halloween in very similar ways.  Trick or treating, pumpkin carving, and dressing in costumes are a large part of the holiday.  An annual survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation has recorded that America spends around $6.86 billion on Halloween each year, and $2 billion of that is spent on candy.  

Halloween is a holiday that, despite its European origins, has managed to encompass a wide variety of cultures around the world.  It’s a holiday that can be celebrated by everyone, no matter what background.