It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. In popular culture, the day has become a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural.

Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is a festival of costumes, candies, spooky tales, and ghostly decorations, enjoyed across many parts of the world. However, the origins of Halloween run much deeper than the playful and festive traditions associated with it today.

The most popular event is the Official Salem Witches' Halloween Ball. Hundreds of costumed patrons flock to Salem as fires are burned on hilltops, while witches gather to cast spells for the new year and to honor the dead during Samhain (the ancient name for "Halloween").

Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn/ SAH-win, /ˈsaʊɪn/ SOW-in, Irish: [ˈsˠəunʲ], Scottish Gaelic: [ˈs̪ãũ.ɪɲ]) or Sauin ( Manx: [ˈsoːɪnʲ]) is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year.