Halloween, also called Witches’ day 
, is a party with dark themes, witches, ghosts, spiders 
, pumpkins and it’s celebrated annually on the night of October 31st to November 1st.
History
The origin of the Halloween party goes back more than 2 thousand years ago, having arisen with the Celts. The Celts were polytheistic people (who believed in various gods) who believed in gods related to animals and the forces of nature. They had the Samhain festival, which celebrated the passage of the Celtic year and lasted for 3 days starting on October 31st. They believed that on that day the dead rose and took possession of the bodies of the living, and that’s because dark costumes and decorations are used.
During the Middle Ages, the Church 
decided to condemn this event and the witches’ day appeared. In an attempt to ward off evil spirits from this feast, the Church opted to celebrate All Saints’ Day on 1 November, which previously took place on 13 May. The name Halloween came up with the combination of the words ‘hallow’ which means saint and ‘eve’.
The culture of Halloween in Portugal 
vs United States 
In the United States, the tradition of Halloween is very strong and was brought by Irish immigrants in the 19th century. Since then, it’s one of the biggest annual parties. Children wear costumes and knock on the doors of the houses saying “trick or treat?” And the game consists of asking for sweets, threatening to commit a trick to anyone who refuses to give it.
The houses and streets are completely decorated with dark themes (witches, mummies, vampires, ghosts 
, …). One of the most emblematic elements of the party are the pumpkins with faces with candles are placed inside to make funny shadows.
In Portugal, the Halloween party is much smaller. There are some parties all over the country but nothing with a similar dimension to the United States.
How I usually celebrate
In years without COVID-19 I usually celebrate Halloween by going to a bar or something but nothing big. When I was in high school there was always a party and we had to go undercover with costumes and bring cakes 
or treats 
. This year I think I will celebrate Halloween lying on the couch watching a movie and taking some rest.
And you? What are your plans for the Halloween night? Is it an important party for you? Write in the comments of this post or on my instagram. If you still don’t follow me, click here.
