Spooky season has officially commenced, and we couldn't be more thrilled! With the return of October, iced coffees have turned to pumpkin spice lattes, sundresses have been put away to make room for cozy sweaters, and strawberry picking has paved the way for apple and pumpkin harvests galore. And that's not to mention all the wonderfully wicked activities Halloween brings, like fun costumes, Halloween movies, and pumpkin carving. But before we get engrossed in celebrating the most haunted holiday of the year, there's one little thing to keep in mind: When exactly is Halloween?
We all want an excuse to throw on those classic Halloween films and sip on some eerily tasty drinks, but it's probably best to prepare ahead first. And while we may not get the day off from work, that's even more reason to figure out the logistics of this spooky and special day. After all, you'll want to plan when to wear your main Halloween costume and last-minute DIY costume during the Halloweekend accordingly!
Knowing what day of the week the holiday falls on is a great place to start. Read on for more information on when Halloween is in 2024, as well as why we celebrate the holiday!
When is Halloween in 2024?
This year, Halloween falls on Thursday, October 31. While it would be ideal for the holiday to happen on a weekend, the Thursday date isn't all bad! It just calls for even more Halloweekend festivities from Thursday through Sunday (and maybe even the weekend before)!
Which leads us into our next question...
Is Halloween on the same day every year?
You might already know the answer to this one since Halloween falls on the same date, October 31, every year. It's just the day of the week that changes!
In 2023, Halloween fell on a Tuesday, so you're probably wondering why it's on a Thursday this year. The reason the spooky holiday isn't on Wednesday is that 2024 is a leap year, so Halloween was pushed back another day.
For context, here are the days that Halloween will fall on within the next coming years:
- 2025: Friday, October 31
- 2026: Saturday, October 31
- 2027: Sunday, October 31
Why do we celebrate Halloween?
The frightful festivities we know and love today all have to do with the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain. It's essentially the first Halloween celebration (that we know of), which began before the 8th century. The day happened on November 1 but officially began its festivities the night before on October 31. In all, the original celebration honored not only the change in weather and seasons but also had some spiritual depth to it. People would use this day to fight off unwelcome spirits, which would later be recognized as All Hallows Eve.
After All Saints Day was assigned November 1 as its day of celebration by Pope Gregory III, the two holidays eventually merged their likeness. This led to our modern-day Halloween traditions, like dressing up in creative (and sometimes scary) costumes and trick-or-treating!
Josiah is the Digital Content Producer for the commerce team at Popular Mechanics, Best Products, Runner’s World, and Bicycling Magazine. He also writes for “BIO Buys”—a column on Biography.com—giving readers the lowdown on what products their favorite celebs are using. In another life, Josiah was an editor at ThePioneerWoman.com, where he sharpened his expertise on all things lifestyle, food-news, and entertainment. Outside work related matters, he’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films, unimportant reality TV drama, and melancholy Lorde songs.
Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.
