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:

Mar. 25, 2024Happy Holi!
Pastel perfection
Feb. 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Huddled and hunting
Apr. 16, 2025Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Apr. 17, 2026International Bat Appreciation Day
Fragrant fields as far as the eye can see
Jun 6, 2026Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, United States
Dec. 7, 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
Dec. 22, 2025The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye
Nov. 18, 2023Polar bear season in Manitoba
Sep. 17, 2025A young bull moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Nov. 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
A bevy of buzzers
Apr. 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Feb. 17, 2026Chinese New Year
Feb. 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
An underwater paradise to explore
Jul. 7, 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
Jun 2, 2026Highway through Xitai Jinaier Lake, Qinghai Province, China
An endless stretch of sky
Mar. 2, 2026Harbour and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand
Mar. 1, 2026Snowy owl near the Canadian Rockies
May 22, 2026International Day for Biological Diversity
Clouds dance above Sundance
May 28, 2025World Otter Day
Jan. 20, 2024Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile
Dec. 22, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia