Our Spooky Guide to Halloween

October 31st is Halloween, a holiday full of costumes, sweets and scary fun. But where does it come from and how do people in the UK celebrate it today?

The Origins of Halloween

Halloween comes from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in). It marked the end of summer and the start of winter. People believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was thin. They lit fires and wore masks to scare away ghosts.

Later, when Christianity spread, November 1st became All Saints’ Day (or All Hallows’ Day). The evening before was called All Hallows’ Eve — which we now shorten to Halloween.

Halloween in the UK

Halloween is becoming more popular every year in Britain, especially with children.

• Trick-or-treating: Kids knock on doors, often dressed as witches, ghosts, or vampires and say “Trick or treat!”. Neighbours usually give them chocolate or sweets.
• Pumpkin carving: Families carve scary or funny faces into pumpkins. Long ago in Scotland and Ireland, people used turnips instead!
• Fancy dress parties: Adults also enjoy Halloween with themed parties in pubs, clubs and at home.

In London

London loves Halloween! Every October you can find:

• Haunted tours: The famous London Dungeon offers spooky shows about London’s dark history.
• Ghost walks: Guides take you through old streets, telling stories about Jack the Ripper and haunted houses.
• Theme parks: Places like Thorpe Park create scary “Fright Nights” with actors and special effects.

Useful Halloween Vocabulary

• Spooky – scary in a fun way
• Creepy – something that makes you uncomfortable or afraid
• Haunted – a place where ghosts are believed to live
• To dress up – to wear a costume
• Sweet tooth – if you love eating sweets, chocolate and desserts

Try using these words in your own sentences! For example:

• “London has many haunted pubs.”
• “My friend dressed up as a spooky skeleton.”

Fun Fact

Did you know? The UK spends millions of pounds on Halloween costumes and sweets every year. But Halloween is still much less commercial here than in the USA.

Your Turn, you can add to our Spooky Guide to Halloween!

• Have you ever been on a ghost walk or visited a haunted place?
• If you were in London on Halloween (check out our podcast page for a visit to London), would you go to a party, a ghost tour or stay at home with sweets and a few scary films?