Halloween 2025 has swept across the globe with an energy and creativity that’s hard to ignore. What started as a modest Celtic festival marking the shift from harvest to winter has transformed, over centuries, into a dazzling, multi-billion-dollar phenomenon celebrated on nearly every continent. This year, the world’s love affair with all things spooky and spectacular reached new heights, from the bustling streets of New York City to the haunted corners of Bucharest, the party-filled avenues of Sydney, and the vibrant traditions of Mexico City.
According to AP photo editors, this year’s festivities kicked off in grand fashion on October 30, 2025, when President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted families during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. The presidential bash wasn’t just about candy and costumes—it served as a symbol of how deeply Halloween has become woven into the fabric of American culture. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the West Side Hallo Fest in Bucharest, Romania, unfolded as the country’s largest Halloween celebration. Children posed with pumpkins and braved horror-themed rooms, while women at the Salcetului day care for the elderly carved intricate jack-o’-lanterns, showing that Halloween’s spirit knows no age limit.
The festivities didn’t stop there. In Lansing, Michigan, on October 17, Makenzie Smith-Emrich dressed up her dog Sadie for a canine trick-or-treating event, sharing the fun with fellow pet lovers. Mojo, a dog from Kalamazoo, trotted around in a tank costume, drawing smiles from kids and adults alike. Over in St. Louis, fans arrived at an NHL hockey game between the Blues and the Vancouver Canucks decked out in elaborate costumes, turning the arena into a sea of ghosts, superheroes, and monsters.
Halloween’s international reach was on full display in Vilnius, Lithuania, where revelers in costume joined in celebrations on October 26, and in Essen, Germany, where people in scary costumes took part in a Halloween Zombie protest walk on October 31. Even everyday places got in on the act—Sam’s Club in Bentonville, Arkansas, was transformed by Halloween decorations as early as September 24. In Portland, Maine, a man dressed as Pennywise, the infamous clown from Stephen King’s novel, snapped a selfie with a coffee shop worker, while pharmacy manager Tyler O’Neil took his work break dressed as an alarm clock, proving that Halloween spirit pops up in the most unexpected places.
But how did we get here? As RiverBender.com explains, Halloween’s roots stretch back more than 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and Northern France. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter—a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to blur. People lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off wandering spirits. With the spread of Christianity, these pagan rites were gradually absorbed, and by the 9th century, the church established November 1 as All Saints’ Day. The night before became All Hallows’ Eve—eventually, Halloween. The holiday made its way to America with Irish and Scottish immigrants in the 19th century, bringing with them traditions like “guising”—the forerunner to trick-or-treating.
By the early 20th century, Halloween in America had become a community-centered affair, with parades, parties, and games. The commercialization of the holiday took off, with companies producing costumes, decorations, and candies tailored to the season. Today, Halloween is a juggernaut, with retail sales projected to reach over $12 billion in 2024. As RiverBender.com notes, “Halloween has grown into a cultural phenomenon far beyond its ancient origins.”
Technology has only amplified the holiday’s reach. Virtual costume contests, online haunted house tours, and themed video games now allow people to join in wherever they are. Social media spreads creative costume ideas and spooky decorations worldwide in an instant. And as Halloween’s popularity grows, countries far from its Celtic roots are making the holiday their own.
Travel And Tour World highlights how 2025 saw the US, Mexico, Australia, and Japan pull out all the stops with massive street parades and festivals. The 52nd Village Halloween Parade in New York City, held on October 31, drew more than 1.5 million spectators. The parade’s theme, “Potluck!,” celebrated community, with giant puppets, marching bands, and an array of outlandish costumes. “The Village Halloween Parade is as much about participating as it is about spectating,” the outlet reports, with costumes ranging from witches and monsters to pop culture icons. In West Hollywood, California, the Halloween Carnaval transformed Santa Monica Boulevard into a carnival of creativity, with thousands of revelers, elaborate performances, and world-class DJs.
But Halloween’s influence isn’t limited to the United States. In Mexico City, the Día de los Muertos parade—though rooted in its own rich traditions—incorporated Halloween’s spooky flair with vibrant costumes and giant skeleton puppets, drawing over 100,000 spectators. Sydney, Australia, hosted a dynamic Halloween street parade, with family-friendly fun and costumes inspired by everything from classic monsters to superheroes. Even when rain forced the cancellation of some events, as with Sydney’s Ghost Festival, thousands still turned out to celebrate.
Europe, too, joined the party. Derry, Northern Ireland, hosted the continent’s largest Halloween festival from October 28 to 31, featuring a carnival parade, fireworks, and cultural performances. The festival’s “Awakening the Walled City” trail and parade showcased the region’s unique blend of traditional and modern Halloween celebrations. Meanwhile, in Caseville, Michigan, the Witches’ Walk brought together over 2,000 participants in witch costumes for a quirky, small-town parade that drew both locals and tourists.
What ties all these festivities together? A universal fascination with the mysterious, the eerie, and the communal joy of dressing up and letting loose. Each country—and indeed, each city—puts its own spin on Halloween. In Japan, Halloween has become synonymous with cosplay and street parties, emphasizing creativity over ghostly lore. In Mexico, Día de los Muertos honors the dead with altars, parades, and symbolic foods. In the US, Halloween is a time for haunted houses, pumpkin patches, and neighborhood trick-or-treating. As RiverBender.com puts it, “Halloween’s evolution reflects broader societal changes—religious shifts, immigration patterns, commercialization, and technological innovation.”
For those looking to make the most of Halloween, experts recommend planning costumes early, creating safe trick-or-treating environments, exploring local events, and embracing the diversity of traditions worldwide. Whether you’re donning a witch’s hat in Caseville, marching in New York’s parade, or carving pumpkins in Bucharest, Halloween 2025 has proven that the spirit of the holiday is alive and well—continuing to adapt, inspire, and unite people in celebration of the mysterious and the magical.
