Halloween
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October. In 2027, Halloween falls on Sunday 31 October.
The dates of Halloween, this year and in the years ahead.
When is Halloween?
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday, 31 October 2025 |
| 2026 | Saturday, 31 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, 31 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, 31 October 2028 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, 31 October 2029 |
| 2030 | Thursday, 31 October 2030 |
| 2031 | Friday, 31 October 2031 |
Dates calculated from the statutory rules. Source: GOV.UK: UK bank holidays. More about our sources
Where does Halloween come from?
Halloween, on the 31st of October, is the eve of All Saints' Day, also called All Hallows' Day: 'Hallowe'en' is short for All Hallows' Evening. Many of its customs are thought to go back to Samhain, the Celtic festival that marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter, when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be thin.
Irish and Scottish emigrants brought their traditions to North America, where Halloween grew into the festival of costumes, carved pumpkins and trick-or-treating that has since spread around the world.
Halloween in the UK
Halloween is not a bank holiday. In Scotland and Ireland, children traditionally went 'guising', dressing up and performing a song, poem or joke in return for treats, and turnips were carved into lanterns long before pumpkins took over. Games such as dooking or bobbing for apples are still popular.
Today trick-or-treating, costume parties and pumpkin carving are widespread, and Halloween often falls during or close to the October half term. Bonfire Night follows less than a week later.
Frequently asked questions
When is Halloween 2026?
In 2026, Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October.
Is Halloween a day off?
No, Halloween is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
What does Halloween mean?
It is short for All Hallows' Evening, the evening before All Saints' Day on the 1st of November.
What is guising?
A Scottish and Irish tradition in which children dress up and perform a song, poem or joke at people's doors in return for treats, the forerunner of trick-or-treating.