The spookiest night of the year is here, so we hope you've got your pumpkins carved and your costumes ready.
Yep, it's that time when the nights have started to draw in and the days have become colder, which can only mean one thing - Halloween is today.
But despite its ancient and rather mysterious roots, the festival today has become a byword for plastic decorations, costumes, trick or treating and partying.
So where did Halloween come from, what does Halloween mean and why do we celebrate it?
Here's the lowdown:
What day does Halloween 2018 fall on?
Traditionally known as All Hallows’ Evening, Halloween falls on 31 October. It is always the eve of Christian festival All Saints’ Day on 1 November.
What is Halloween and where did it come from?
Dating back to European traditions, Halloween originated from the ancient Gaelic festival, Samhain. It was a day to celebrate the end of the harvest season – it means “summer's end”.
It is thought that the Pagan Samhain was Christianised into Halloween by the early Christian church, and modern day customs have their roots in early folklore, Pagan beliefs and early Christianity.
The word Halloween itself is a Scottish term for All Hallows Eve - basically, the evening before All Saints' Day.
Historically Gaels thought the walls between the spiritual realm and our world were thin. In order to protect their crops, they would set up places at their dinner tables for good spirits and light bonfires to scare off evil spirits.
Trick or treating and dressing up came from 16th Century Ireland, Scotland and Wales. People would ask for food in exchange for a poem or song. People dressed up in scary costumes and impersonated the souls of the dead to protect themselves.
Why do we celebrate Halloween in the UK?
Halloween became commercialised over time from the influences of pop culture and is celebrated by both children and adults, whether they are going to parties or carving pumpkins.
Trick or treating was coined by the Americans, who evolved the British tradition of “souling” or “guising” to the main event for children as we know it today.
What Halloween events are going on?
As the only day of the year where we have a real excuse to go all out with the fancy dress, lots of people will be heading out trick or treating and to Halloween parties.
There's a whole host of club nights and Halloween parties happening in London the weekend before and throughout the week.
Many London landmarks will also be hosting immersive shows and fright nights where you can scare yourself silly.
If you want to stay out of the eerie events, but still get into the spooky spirit, here's our list of the best Halloween horror films of all time.
