Happy Halloween! Oct. 31, 2024

Do you sometimes get spooked? If you do, that means you have a healthy sense of fun and fear. And what better day of the year than Halloween to indulge in all things scary? The holiday we know today traces its roots to ancient traditions, including the Celts" Samhain, the Romans" Feralia and medieval Christian observances. Today, costumed people mingle in the streets, not unlike their ancestors who donned animal skins to divine the future or celebrate saints and martyrs.

© scaliger/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Whos in this creepy copse?
Oct. 31, 2023Halloween
Oct. 31, 2025Happy Halloween!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep. 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Oct. 21, 2023International Archaeology Day
Aug. 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
Oct. 12, 2023Old barn and canola field, Palouse region, Idaho
Eyes on the skies
Jan. 21, 2024Eurasian red squirrel, Netherlands
Sep. 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Oct. 30, 2025Pushkar Camel Fair
Jan. 5, 2025Plum-headed parakeet
A scented sea of purple
Feb. 25, 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Nov. 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Dec. 6, 2023Computer Science Week
Mar. 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon, USA
Kings of the north
Sep. 22, 2025Autumn equinox
The worlds most exclusive beach?
Aug. 18, 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, USA
Mar. 1, 2026Snowy owl near the Canadian Rockies
Sep. 14, 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Sep. 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
For Mother’s Day, we salute these marsupial moms
Feb. 1, 2025Rolands Breach, Spain
Aug. 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Jan. 29, 2025Chinese New Year
Feb. 15, 2025The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Freshwater diving capital
A breathtaking cave when it’s cold
Jan. 26, 2024Northern hawk-owl