On October 31, the streets will be crowded with superheroes, witches, ghosts, and more, all celebrating Halloween. But this modern-day holiday has ancient origins. It can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (SAH-ween).
More than 1,000 years ago, the Celtic people lived throughout Europe. They believed that once a year on Samhain, ghosts came to visit the living. They said that wandering spirits roamed the land along with fairies, witches, and demons. To help the spirits, the Celts left food and drinks on their doorsteps and lit bonfires. Eventually, some people started dressing up as imaginary creatures and performing entertaining acts in exchange for food and drink.
In the 19th century, immigrants from Ireland and England brought Halloween to America. Slowly, Halloween became more and more popular. Now, Christmas is the only holiday that Americans spend more money on.
In 2016, Americans spent more than $8 billion on Halloween, with the biggest chunk going to costumes—including outfits for pets! According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent $350 million in 2016 on costumes for their pets.
Take a look at our charts and graphs to find out more about celebrating our favorite spooky holiday.