The poem states, “Boo! Did we scare you? Halloween has come, so don’t be looking glum. Click through today’s slideshow Doodle to trick-or-treat with a vampire, a witch, and a ghost. And venture out tonight to collect the candy that you love the most! It’s the scariest day in Fall — Happy Halloween to all.”

Halloween is observed on October 31 which takes place the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day. Halloween day marks the day before the Western Christian feast of All Saints and initiates the season of Allhallowtide that lasts for three days. Halloween is a nonreligious festival celebrated in Europe and North America.

Halloween traces its roots back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in Britain and Ireland. It was celebrated on a day equivalent to November 1 in modern calendars that was believed to be the beginning of the new year. This date marked the onset of the winter season when herds were brought back from pastures and land agreements were renewed.

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People set bonfires on hilltops to relight their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day. The period was also thought to be favourable for divination on matters such as marriage, health, and death.

Halloween has been associated with a number of activities including pulling pranks, wearing masks and costumes for parties, and for trick-or-treating.  The practice of trick-or-treating is believed to have been derived from the British practice of allowing the poor to beg for food called “soul cakes.” 

Trick-or-treaters involve mostly children who visit houses and threaten to pull a trick if they do not receive a treat or candy. On this day, Halloween parties take place that include games such as bobbing for apples which is derived from the Roman celebration of Pomona. The celebrations include scary beings such as skeletons, black cats, ghosts, witches, and vampires. One of the famous symbols is the jack-o’-lantern which is a hollowed-out pumpkin carved into a demonic face and is lit with a candle inside. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) attempted to make the money collection for its programs from the mid-20th century a part of Halloween, reported Britannica.

(With inputs from Britannica)

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Updated: 31 Oct 2023, 09:20 AM IST